WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: QUARTERFINALS

March 12, 2026

Gleyber Torres

Salvador Perez

LoanDepot Park

Team Venezuela

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. What's the mindset after the great game against the Dominican Republic? Now you are going to face Japan, three times champions.

SALVADOR PEREZ: Yes. Great game yesterday. Not the way we expected. I had several chances and I couldn't hit the ball, but that's part of the game. I prepared myself, but we flipped the page. Now we will have more opportunities in the next game.

Just like you said, they are three-time champions, a great team, but we are going to go out and do our best. We are prepared. We are going to compete, and we are going to win the game.

Q. Recently we saw the batting practice. How is the team recovering after the loss yesterday? How are you planning to face a pitcher such as Yamamoto?

GLEYBER TORRES: The game yesterday was very important to define the winner and runner-up of the pool, but especially because of the rivalry between the two teams. We didn't win, but the game was very tight.

It's baseball, you know? Yesterday we proved that we are able to come back, we can compete. Now we are facing Japan. Yamamoto is a very experienced guy in the Classic. He is a great pitcher with the Dodgers. It is important to have a game plan.

We, as batters, are going to have a couple of meetings. We are going to try to stay focused on details, not rush, and the game is going to dictate what to do.

SALVADOR PEREZ: Regarding batting, I do my routine on a daily basis.

It's kind of weird. Journalists and the fans sometimes do not understand this, and they have the right to criticize if we don't do a good job, but I hit for a double play even when I wanted to hit a double or a homer.

But this is baseball and I'm not going to die for this. So I do my routine on a daily basis and I try to do my best every game.

Q. Considering that this WBC has an additional thing that is the possibility to qualify for the Olympics, is that one of your goals as well as players? Beating Japan, it could take you to the 2028 L.A. Olympics.

SALVADOR PEREZ: Yes, we learned that. I don't know if they will allow the superstars to go to the Olympics in the middle of the season. I don't know. I would say that this is complicated, but there is a long way to go until 2028.

I wish we could win and go to the Olympics, but to be honest --

Q. Have you heard anything about it? It would be the first time in history that Venezuela goes to the Olympics. I hope you can make it because that would be another historic achievement for Venezuela.

SALVADOR PEREZ: That would be great. We don't know what is going to happen in the next couple of years the Olympics.

GLEYBER TORRES: I have no idea whether they are going to authorize us or not. We have two years ahead. It is important to do the job here even when we don't go to the Olympics and other players could go there. We would be very proud of that. And maybe we can make it. That would be great to represent Venezuela in Olympics Games. That would be very special.

Q. This is a very short tournament, and you are in the middle of the spring training. From the fourth to the ninth bat, you have been a little weak. What are you going to do in order to face Yamamoto? Omar said that you had to stay focused and to keep the mindset.

GLEYBER TORRES: Yeah, we have to be focused on all the games, not only against Japan. As players, the team has done a great job. Some have had some better personal results, but all the players have made some adjustments. Spring training is no longer an excuse. This is very important for us.

Every player has done their personal and integral adjustments to be here at 100 percent. This game on Saturday is very, very important to us. The people in the lineup will be prepared for that. We'll be ready.

As Salvador said, we are all brothers. We are together in all the games. We know that we are high-level players. We are ready. We just believe in ourselves. We are together in this, and that's it.

Q. Good afternoon. You have participated in several Classics. Tell us a little bit. Have you seen how this Classic has grown and what it means for baseball and for Venezuela and for the world?

SALVADOR PEREZ: I think this is one of the best tournaments that you have in baseball. The Federation and MLB have done a great job. I know it is a little bit complicated because of the insurance issue, and understand the organizations, of course. The organizations want the players play for them and not for the country.

This is a change of a mindset. If you are going to get paid $30 million, they have the right to tell you, "No, don't get there." It's a very complicated topic.

Many players didn't make it. Players from Venezuela and from other countries were not able to participate here because of the insurance issue. But to me, this is one of the best tournaments.

Q. In Venezuela, you have great people such as Santana, Miguel Cabrera. What do you think about that? There was a comment on Jose Ramirez. They said that he's the best player of the Dominican Republic in the Majors. Is there any other player on the Dominican roster -- I mean, player that you really like or you deem favorite?

SALVADOR PEREZ: They're all good for me. The Dominican Republic has a great team. I really mean it, you know that. The problems that they have internally, that's their problem.

As Venezuelan, I shouldn't answer that question, if there is one or another player. We know what happened, and you can see everything and anything in the social networks.

Ego shouldn't be here in this tournament, from the person that came or the person that couldn't make it. This is the most important thing.

GLEYBER TORRES: Speaking about Johan, Victor, and Miguel, it's an honor. I grew up seeing them on TV. I'm still a kid, I'm still a child. Come on. It is important to be around Victor or Miguel. They played a lot in the Majors.

Maybe during the game, you are not going to talk to them, to ask them, you know, "What should I do?" No, because we speak all the time. We have had questions between innings, between at-bats or between the games. We are all very happy and honored for that because we are learning from the best players.

Q. What can you tell your teammates, because you faced Yamamoto in 2024, in the World Series. You are going to face a similar situation on Saturday in Miami.

GLEYBER TORRES: Yeah, we exchange opinions in the meetings. Some of the guys have faced Yamamoto. For example, Andres faced him in the World Series.

We are going to discuss some ideas, to exchange ideas to get to know his pitches better, how he reacts. We have a lot of information about him. So communication is very important.

Sometimes we speak about something in the meeting, but then during the game the strategy of the pitcher is different and we have to make adjustments. Ronald will be the first batter. He will tell us how he saw Yamamoto, and after that, we are going to try to perform as best as possible.

(FastScripts by ASAP Sports)