Venezuela captured its first World Baseball Classic title Tuesday, edging tournament favorite the United States 3-2 in the final.
The game was tied 2-2 entering the ninth when Venezuela struck. Luis Arráez opened the inning with a walk and Javier Sanoja, running as a pinch runner, stole second. Eugenio Suárez followed with a go-ahead double to left-center, and Daniel Palencia retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to seal the championship.
Team USA entered the WBC as the favorite but its high-profile lineup was largely quiet down the stretch. After a controversial 2-1 semifinal win over the Dominican Republic, the U.S. produced only two runs in the final and managed just three hits.
Venezuela got on the board in the third inning via a Maikel García sacrifice fly and recorded hits in each of the first three innings. They extended the lead in the fifth when Wilyer Abreu crushed a 414-foot solo homer to center.
Although the Venezuelan win leaned on the bullpen, starter Eduardo Rodríguez delivered an exceptional start. A professional since 2015, Rodríguez struck out four and allowed one hit over 4 1/3 innings, handing a 2-0 lead to the relief corps.
The U.S. didn’t reach base until the third inning and never managed to put a leadoff batter on during the game. It looked like Venezuela might shut them out until the bottom of the eighth, when Bobby Witt Jr. drew a two-out walk and Bryce Harper tied the game with a 434-foot homer to center.
Aaron Judge couldn’t spark a late rally, striking out to end the eighth. The reigning American League MVP finished 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and a groundout that left a runner stranded; across his last two games he had one hit and six strikeouts.
This was Venezuela’s first appearance in the championship game and their first WBC gold. Their knockout-stage run included a quarterfinal victory over defending champion Japan and a semifinal win over a red-hot Italy team.
The U.S. managed just nine runs across its final three games. With their last WBC title coming in 2017, Team USA will wait another four years for a chance at redemption.