Venezuela stunned the United States 3-2 to capture its first World Baseball Classic title.
Maikel García put Venezuela on the board with a sacrifice fly that scored Salvador Pérez in the top of the third. Wilyer Abreu extended the lead with a 414-foot solo home run in the fifth, his helmet flying off as he rounded second and celebrated with teammates at the plate.
The U.S. offense was quiet until the bottom of the eighth, when Bryce Harper launched a two-run homer to tie the game. In the ninth, a leadoff walk set the stage for Eugenio Suárez, who doubled to left-center to score pinch runner Javier Sonoja with the eventual winning run.
Daniel Palencia closed the game, striking out two in a perfect ninth to finish a three-hitter and record his third save of the tournament, fanning Roman Anthony for the final out. Venezuelan players poured onto the infield in celebration as American players watched from the dugout.
The U.S., with a roster featuring stars such as Aaron Judge, Harper and Paul Skenes, lost its second straight WBC final and remains without a title since 2017. Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in the championship game.
Ahead of a matchup shadowed by political tension, players and coaches avoided discussing government turmoil between the nations, heightened when the U.S. military captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in January. The sellout crowd at LoanDepot Park leaned heavily toward Venezuela, with some fans booing American players during introductions.
Venezuela is the second Latin American country to win the WBC, joining the Dominican Republic (2013). The U.S. won in 2017 and lost the 2023 final to Japan at the same ballpark. Venezuela’s deep pool of talent was evident: 63 players born in Venezuela were on MLB opening-day rosters last year, the second-most from outside the U.S., behind the Dominican Republic’s 100.
Venezuela broke through against starter Kyle McLean in the third. Salvador Pérez singled on the first pitch, Ronald Acuña Jr. followed with a walk, and after a bunted grounder advanced the runners, García’s sacrifice fly put Venezuela ahead. Abreu’s fifth-inning homer came off a fastball and electrified the Venezuelan dugout.
Rodríguez allowed one hit over 4 1/3 innings before Venezuela turned to its bullpen. The U.S. players arrived at the stadium wearing game-worn U.S. Olympic hockey jerseys coordinated by outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jack Hughes, who scored the gold-medal-winning goal for the U.S. last month. In a darkened, wristband-lit ballpark, Judge and Luis Arraez led the teams down the foul lines carrying their national flags.