"Take this ball."
Emmanuel De Jesus, a 29-year-old left-handed pitcher for Venezuela's national baseball team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), started for the 2026 WBC first-round Group D game against Israel on March 8 (all times Korea time) at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, and earned the win with five innings, two hits, no walks, eight strikeouts and one earned run, leading his team to an 11-3 rout.
De Jesus, who dominated Israel's lineup by being perfect through two outs in the fifth, later allowed one run but finished without further damage by striking out the final batter, Jake Gelof, on three pitches. As De Jesus roared off the mound, first baseman Luis Arraez casually tossed him the ball. Up to that point, De Jesus did not know what he had accomplished.
The eight strikeouts De Jesus recorded that day set a new WBC record for the Venezuela national team. He broke the previous mark of seven, set by Freddy Garcia (against Italy in 2006), Felix Hernandez (against Puerto Rico in 2009) and Luis Garcia (against the Dominican Republic in 2023).
In the postgame official interview, De Jesus said, "I'm really proud. After finishing the fifth inning, when Arraez told me to take the ball, I didn't know about the record, and I only learned after the game. To have my name above legendary players is an unforgettable experience. I'm happy to contribute to the national team." Arraez, who joined the interview after a game in which he had two home runs among four hits and five RBIs, said, "Before the game I told De Jesus, 'Pitch for your son. Pitch for your pregnant wife and family,' and he really did a wonderful job. Congratulations," and revealed that De Jesus will soon be a father.
De Jesus threw 63 pitches, topping out at 94.5 mph (152.1 km/h) with an average four-seam fastball of 93.4 mph (150.3 km/h) on 18 pitches, and he also threw a cutter (17), changeup (16), sinker (8) and slider (4). His changeup alone induced eight swings and misses and produced three strikeouts. Israel's right-handed hitters were helpless against De Jesus's falling changeup.
Brad Asmus, Israel's manager, praised De Jesus's pitching, saying, "The velocity wasn't overwhelming, but the ball came out hidden and batters' swings were late. And he used the changeup effectively down in the strike zone against right-handed hitters."
The changeup that De Jesus had thrown well even in Korea was much improved. He had help from Venezuela pitching coach Johan Santana. Santana, a left-hander who won two American League Cy Young Awards (2004, 2006) with the Minnesota Twins, made his signature circle changeup a devastating pitch. Working with a role model who dominated an era to the point of being called an "alien" is a big opportunity for De Jesus.
De Jesus said, "I grew up watching Santana pitch. As a child I said I wanted to be like Santana. Thankfully I now have the chance to have him as a coach. I'm trying to learn a lot from him. These days we're practicing the changeup together, and everyone knows Santana is an expert in that area. I hope I can throw like him."
Manager Omar Lopez of Venezuela praised him, saying, "De Jesus is much more mature and full of confidence than he was at the WBC three years ago. Our team's scouting director Rafael Jones closely followed his journey in Asia. He has a very good fastball, and whereas he used to throw only a curveball, he has now added a sinker, cutter and slider to his repertoire. Based on that information, we were confident we could start him against Israel. He did a really great job today."
De Jesus spent the past two years with KBO League clubs Kiwoom Heroes and KT Wiz. After a late-season slump last year, he did not re-sign with KT, his retention rights were released, and he did not return to the KBO. De Jesus signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers and in pre-WBC exhibition games he made two appearances (one start, 6 1/3 innings), allowing four hits, one walk, striking out seven and giving up three runs (none earned).
He carried that momentum into the WBC, raising expectations for the opening roster. The Samsung Lions are looking for a replacement foreign pitcher after releasing Matt Manning with an elbow injury, but it does not look easy to bring in De Jesus. De Jesus will receive $1.3 million if he reaches the major leagues.
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