Venezuelan hero Eugenio Suarez harnesses faith after impacting Team USA: ‘All glory goes to the Lord Jesus’
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Eugenio Suárez, the man who hit the game-winning double to lift Venezuela over Team USA in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final, tapped into his faith during his postgame interview.
“I mean, what can I say about this? It’s amazing. God is good, all the glory goes to the Lord Jesus. He was with us the whole time,” Suarez told News Sports’ Ken Rosenthal after being asked about his emotions following the 3-2 victory over the United States.
“We have to glorify, put his name in front of everything. Nobody believed in Venezuela, but now [won] today’s championship. This is a celebration for everyone. [of Venezuela]”.
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Eugenio Suárez of Team Venezuela reacts after hitting an RBI double against Team USA during the ninth inning at CreditDepot Park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Suárez shared his faith Monday night after Venezuela came from behind to defeat Italy, when he hit a solo home run. But he knew the job wasn’t done with one more game left on the schedule before he and his teammates, whom he called family, returned to their MLB clubs.
It was a dominant performance from Venezuela at Loan Depot Park on Tuesday night, a surprising performance in which Team USA was held to just two hits and four total runners when Bryce Harper came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
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However, the game took a turn when Harper hit a fastball from Andrés Machado over the center field wall to tie the game at two runs apiece. The change in momentum was palpable, but Suárez found himself in an excellent position to return it to the Venezuelan dugout.
Eugenio Suárez of Team Venezuela celebrates while rounding the bases after hitting a solo home run against Team Italy in the fourth inning at CreditDepot Park on March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
As Javier Sanoja stole second base, Suárez made no mistake on a 3-2 changeup in the heart of Garrett Whitlock’s plate, driving it into left-center field for the game-winning hit.
He stood on second base and immediately looked up at the sky, to which Rosenthal asked: What exactly did he say?
“I just prayed at that moment,” Suarez said. “I pointed it out to my family; they were happy for me. God is good, man. God is good.”
Venezuela’s upset of Team USA, one of the most stacked lineups the Stars and Stripes have fielded in this tournament, marked the country’s first win in the WBC. That’s why everyone, from the players to the coaches, celebrated excitedly on the field after the game.
Eugenio Suárez of Team Venezuela reacts after hitting an RBI double against Team USA during the ninth inning at CreditDepot Park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
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“The union: we are together all the time. We are not just teammates, we are all family,” added Suárez. “This team is incredible, here we are a family. That is why we play with passion, with love, because we feel it on our shirt. We feel our country in front of us. That is why it is very important for us as players, as people, as human beings and as Venezuelans. Now we are the champions.”
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for News Digital.