Venezuela shocks Team USA to win World Baseball Classic for first time

Venezuela’s ascendant pitching and timely hitting shocked the United States, 3-2, to seizure the World Baseball Classic (WBC) rubric for the archetypal clip successful squad history. 

Only Team USA, Japan and the Dominican Republic person been capable to telephone themselves WBC champions. Venezuela, utilizing its momentum from a semifinal triumph implicit Italy connected Monday night, had eyes acceptable connected history. 

But nary 1 could’ve expected what transpired astatine loanDepot Park successful Miami, arsenic the U.S. was held to conscionable 2 hits and 4 full baserunners until a heroic infinitesimal by Bryce Harper made this a thrilling crippled successful the end. 

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Eugenio Suárez of Team Venezuela reacts aft hitting an RBI treble against Team United States during the ninth inning astatine loanDepot parkland connected March 17, 2026 successful Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Eduardo Rodriguez, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Venezuelan left-hander, had thrown to a 5.02 ERA implicit the past 2 seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but you wouldn’t deliberation truthful the mode helium was surviving connected the corners and keeping Team USA disconnected equilibrium passim his 4.1-inning start.  

Rodriguez fto up conscionable a azygous to Brice Turang, portion notching 4 strikeouts including 2 connected Team USA skipper Aaron Judge. He astir apt wanted to spell longer considering however overmuch of a bushed helium was in, but manager Omar Lopez pulled Rodriguez aft 57 pitches. He received a lasting ovation from the Venezuela faithful arsenic helium made his mode to the dugout, wherever the bullpen had to instrumentality over. 

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Venezuela’s relievers followed Rodriguez’s lead, continuing to confuse Team USA hitters, wherever lone Bryce Harper was capable to muster a azygous disconnected Jose Butto successful the bottommost of the sixth inning. But with Judge astatine the crockery astatine a accidental to crook momentum successful favour of the U.S., the skipper grounded retired to 3rd basal to extremity the inning. 

At the aforesaid time, Venezuela wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard, but they came up clutch successful cardinal moments to marque it 2-0 by the apical of the 5th inning. Team USA starter Nolan McLean recovered himself with runners connected archetypal and 2nd erstwhile helium yanked a curveball past catcher Will Smith, allowing those Venezuelans to beforehand into scoring position. 

Wilyer Abreu of Team Venezuela rounds the bases aft hitting a solo location tally against Team United States during the 5th inning astatine loanDepot parkland connected March 17, 2026 successful Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Maikel Garcia lifted a alert shot to halfway tract to get the archetypal tally crossed location sheet successful the apical of the 3rd inning, striking archetypal arsenic Team USA was trying to fig retired Rodriguez. 

Then, Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu didn’t miss a stitch of McLean’s middle-away fastball successful the apical of the fifth, ripping it implicit the halfway tract wall. 

If Venezuela had momentum before, determination was nary denying it arsenic helium sprinted astir the bases similar a madman, getting to location sheet arsenic accelerated arsenic imaginable to observe the infinitesimal with his teammates arsenic the assemblage went wild. 

But the comic happening astir momentum is it tin power astatine immoderate moment, and it came successful the bottommost of the eighth for Team USA. 

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Bryce Harper stepped to the crockery with 2 outs successful the bottommost of the eighth inning pursuing a Bobby Witt Jr. walk. At that point, Team USA had conscionable 2 hits and 4 full baserunners, with nary 1 making it past archetypal base. 

Harper was 1 of those U.S. hits, and Andres Machado had conscionable thrown his 5th consecutive shot to springiness him a hitter’s count. The adjacent transportation was a fastball close down the mediate and Harper enactment his champion plaything connected it.

Bryce Harper of Team United States celebrates with teammates aft hitting a two-run location tally against Team Venezuela during the eighth inning astatine loanDepot parkland connected March 17, 2026 successful Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

As Harper watched the shot alert to heavy halfway field, the assemblage erupted, knowing the crippled was tied disconnected the ace of the bat. Harper screamed arsenic the Team USA dugout came retired onto the tract to observe the location tally that rejuvenated the full U.S. side. Harper gave a salute arsenic helium touched 3rd base, and helium pointed to the American emblem connected his near sleeve earlier touching home. 

The U.S. needed that infinitesimal desperately considering however the crippled was going – aft all, they were down to conscionable 4 much outs. 

But Venezuela didn't skip a bushed successful the apical of the ninth inning, arsenic Garrett Whitlock, who had been large successful a high-leverage relation earlier successful the tournament, didn't look similar his accustomed self. He issued a locomotion to commencement the inning, and aft Venezuela's pinch runner, Javier Sanoja, stole 2nd base, Eugenio Suarez smashed a changeup to left-center tract for a go-ahead treble to retake the lead. 

Daniel Palencia got the telephone successful the bottommost of the ninth for Venezuela aft closing retired Italy, and the Chicago Cubs agreed this would beryllium the lone infinitesimal helium could propulsion again. 

Venezuela Wilyer Abreu (16) celebrates with his teammates aft hitting a location tally during the 5th inning successful the title crippled of the World Baseball Classic against the United States, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, successful Miami.  (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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He made the champion of the opportunity, striking retired Kyle Schwarber, getting Gunnar Henderson to popular up to Garcia, and striking retired Roman Anthony to seal an affectional triumph for Venezuela. 

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