Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr. combine for first WBC game with two leadoff home runs

MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. got the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal off to a pulsating start, combining for the first WBC game with two leadoff homers.

Acuña homered on the second pitch from World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday night, driving a fastball 401 feet to right-center for his second home run of the tournament.

Ohtani led off the bottom half against Ranger Suárez with a 427-foot drive to center on a 2-1 slider, a ball that was 113.6 mph off the bat. Ohtani watched the ball, flipped his bat and motioned with both hands to teammates in the third-base dugout. The home run, which tied the score 1-1 for the defending champions, was Ohtani's third of the WBC.

No regular or postseason game has included leadoff home runs by players who had won MVPs, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Ohtani, 31, is a four-time MVP who helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to the last two World Series titles.

Acuna, 28, won the 2023 NL MVP award and helped the 2021 Atlanta Braves win a championship.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Venezuela's Ronald Acuna Jr. celebrates his single home run during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Japan's Shohei Ohtani runs as he hits a single home run during the first inning against Venezuela of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Venezuela's Ronald Acuna Jr. celebrates his single home run during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Japan's Shohei Ohtani hits a single home run during the first inning against Venezuela of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes scored the go-ahead goal with 2:29 to play and Jake Allen made 27 saves as the New Jersey Devils edged the Los Angeles Kings 6-4 on Saturday night.

Hughes put the Devils ahead 5-4 in the seesaw game with a power-play goal. Nico Hischier scored twice and Cody Glass, Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier — with a last minute empty-netter — also scored.

Anze Kopitar scored twice for Los Angeles — to establish a Kings franchise points record — and Artemi Panarin and Taylor Ward also scored.

Ward had put the Kings ahead 3-2 at 11:43 of the middle period after Kopitar and Panarin scored in less than two minutes as Los Angeles battled back from an early 2-0 deficit.

But Gritsyuk tied the contest just 25 seconds into the third.

Hischier's second goal put New Jersey ahead at 12:42 of the third before Kopitar scored to tie it again.

Glass scored his career-best 15th goal at 7:56 of the first, beating Anton Forsberg with a fluttering shot. Hischier made it 2-0 at 11:04. Forsberg had 22 saves.

Kopitar scored at 4:15 of the second to narrow the deficit to 2-1.

With his second of the game, the 38-year-old Slovenian forward has 450 career goals and 858 career assists for 1,308 points, moving him ahead of Marcel Dionne. Dionne scored 550 goals with Los Angeles. Luc Robitaille leads with 557.

The Kings captain and a two-time Stanley Cup winner said he will retire after this season.

Panarin tied the contest at 2-2 at 6:03 with his third goal since he was acquired from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4.

Los Angeles is battling San Jose, Seattle and Nashville for the last Western Conference playoff berth.

Devils: Host the Boston Bruins on Monday night.

Kings: Visit the New York Rangers on Monday night to conclude five-game road trip.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (34) and defenseman Luke Hughes (43) defend against Los Angeles Kings right wing Jared Wright (53) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) collides with New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) playing the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New Jersey Devils right wing Timo Meier (28) plays the puck against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke (92) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) controls the puck against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke (92) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)