Ezequiel Tovar's dominant streak continues against this Dodgers right-hander

It's rare to see the Rockies dominate the Dodgers in any type of capacity over the past ten years or so.

This rare dominance continued when Venezuela upset the reigning World Baseball Classic champions, Japan, fueled by a three-run sixth inning, where Tovar scored on Wilyer Abreu's three-run home run.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was named the starting pitcher for Japan and allowed two runs on four hits in 4.0 innings pitched. One of the hits allowed was a double off the bat of Tovar, and he later scored on Gleyber Torres' double, extending Venezuela's lead to 2-1.

Tovar batted in the six hole, finishing the game 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored.

Regarding Tovar, he has shown excellent plate discipline against Yamamoto, particularly during his successful breakout 2024 season.

In 2024, he was 6-for-7 against the Dodgers' right-hander, hitting .857/.857/1.429 with six hits (including a double and a home run) and only one strikeout.

In 2025, Tovar dealt with injuries, and Colorado is looking for the shortstop to bounce back strongly in 2026. He had only three at-bats against Yamamoto, hitting 1-for-3 with a home run. Over the two seasons, his combined record is 7-for-10 against the right-hander.

The Rockies and their fans should be encouraged by Tovar's strong start in the WBC. Their shortstop is hitting .667/.700/1.000 with three doubles and four runs scored, with all three of his outs being strikeouts.

Venezuela's win over the defending WBC champions leads to a semifinal matchup against Michael Lorenzen and Team Italy on Monday, March 16th, at 6:00 PM MST on FS1. The winner will face the victor of the Team USA vs. Dominican Republic game.

Colorado has a player representing each country besides the USA, including Lorenzen from Italy, Tovar from Venezuela, and Juan Mejia from the Dominican Republic.