Venezuela defeats the United States 3-2 and wins its first World Baseball Classic title

Venezuela surprised the United States in the finals of the World Baseball Classic, beating the Americans 3-2 to win the country’s first WBC title.

Maikel García put Venezuela on the board with a sacrifice fly that scored Salvador Pérez in the top of the third. Wilyer Abreu then added another run with a solo shot in the fifth.

Meanwhile, the American bats had been silenced until the bottom of the eighth, when Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run that tied the game.

But a walk in the top of the ninth allowed Eugenio Suárez to score what would prove to be the winning run, hitting a double to left-center field and scoring pinch-runner Javier Sonoja.

Daniel Palencia struck out two in a perfect bottom half to finish a three-hit game and earn his third WBC save, striking out Roman Anthony to end the game. The Venezuelans ran onto the field to celebrate while the Americans watched, leaning on the railing of their dugout.

Despite a heralded roster of stars led by Aaron Judge, Harper and Paul Skenes, the United States lost its second consecutive final of baseball’s premier international event and remained without a title since 2017. Judge went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the championship game.

Ahead of a showdown with political overtones, players and coaches avoided discussing government unrest between the nations, aggravated when the U.S. military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. The packed crowd at LoanDepot Park was strongly pro-Venezuela, and some American players booed during the introductions.

Venezuela became the second Latin American nation to win the WBC, after the Dominican Republic in 2013. The United States took the title in 2017 and lost the 2023 final to three-time champion Japan on this same field.

While the United States, Japan and the Dominican Republic attracted much of the attention ahead of the sixth edition of the 20-nation event, Venezuela’s success was not so surprising. Sixty-three Venezuelan-born players appeared on Major League Baseball’s Opening Day rosters last year, the second-most of players outside the United States behind the 100 from the Dominican Republic.

Venezuela took a lead in the third inning against McLean, starting because Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers decided that the two-time Cy Young Award winner would only make one first-round appearance.

Salvador Pérez singled on the first pitch and Ronald Acuña Jr. walked with one out. The runners advanced when McLean bounced a curveball and Garcia followed with a sacrifice fly to center.

Abreu doubled the lead when he drove a fastball 414 feet to center field. His helmet fell off as he grounded into second and he jumped with excitement as he approached home plate, where he was greeted by a line of teammates.

Rodríguez allowed one hit in 4 1/3 innings before Venezuela turned to its bullpen.

The American players had arrived at LoanDepot Park in game-worn American Olympic hockey jerseys coordinated by outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jack Hughes, who scored the gold medal goal against Canada last month.

In a dark stadium filled with fans wearing festive flashing light bracelets, Judge and Arráez led the teams down the foul lines for introductions while carrying their countries’ flags.