Venezuela defeated the United States 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic championship game on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, to win the country's first title in the tournament, according to a Fox News Digital report.[1] The final was held at the Miami Marlins' stadium, which hosted the semifinals and championship of the 2026 edition.[2][3][4]
Prior to Venezuela's reported victory, the World Baseball Classic had been won three times by Japan (2006, 2009, 2023), once by the Dominican Republic (2013) and once by the United States (2017).[2][5]
Venezuela advanced to the final after a semifinal victory over Italy on March 16, 2026, per the report.[1] The tournament ran from March 5 to 18, 2026, featuring 20 teams.[2]
Eduardo Rodriguez, a left-handed starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, got the start for Venezuela and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one hit to Brice Turang (Milwaukee Brewers) and recording four strikeouts, including two against U.S. captain Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), on 57 pitches.[1][6]
Wilyer Abreu, an outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, while Maikel Garcia (Kansas City Royals) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the third to build a 2-0 lead, according to the report.[1][7]
Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies) hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score at 2-2. In the top of the ninth, Eugenio Suárez (Arizona Diamondbacks) delivered an RBI double after a walk and stolen base by pinch-runner Javier Sanoja to regain the lead. Daniel Palencia (Chicago Cubs) closed out the bottom of the ninth for the save, striking out two.[1]
Manager Omar López guided Venezuela to the title.[1]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "Venezuela’s dominant pitching and timely hitting shocked the United States" by Scott Thompson, March 18, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- MLB.com, "World Baseball Classic", accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic
- Wikipedia, "2026 World Baseball Classic", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_World_Baseball_Classic
- Wikipedia, "LoanDepot park", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoanDepot_park
- Wikipedia, "World Baseball Classic", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic
- MLB.com, "Eduardo Rodriguez", accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/player/eduardo-rodriguez-608566
- MLB.com, "Wilyer Abreu", accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/player/wilyer-abreu-666759