Venezuela defeats United States 3-2 to claim first World Baseball Classic title
Authored by 4sportbikes.net, 18-03-2026
Venezuela beat the United States 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic championship game on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, winning the title for the first time in its history. The victory marked the fourth different champion in the tournament's six editions.[1][2]
The previous World Baseball Classic winners are Japan in 2006, 2009 and 2023, the Dominican Republic in 2013, and the United States in 2017. Venezuela advanced to the final after defeating Italy in the semifinals the previous night.[1]
Eduardo Rodriguez, a 32-year-old left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, started for Venezuela and pitched 4.1 innings. Over the 2023 and 2024 MLB seasons with Arizona, Rodriguez posted a 4.45 ERA across 114.1 innings.[3][4]
Wilyer Abreu, an outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to give Venezuela a 2-0 lead. Maikel Garcia scored the first run with a sacrifice fly in the third.[3]
Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning for the United States, tying the score at 2-2 after Bobby Witt Jr. walked ahead of him.
In the top of the ninth, Eugenio Suárez, third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks, hit an RBI double with two outs after a walk and stolen base, scoring the go-ahead run. Daniel Palencia pitched the bottom of the ninth for the save, striking out Kyle Schwarber and Roman Anthony while Gunnar Henderson popped out.[3]
The championship game concluded the 2026 World Baseball Classic, held from March 5 to 17 across multiple sites in the United States, with the final weekend at loanDepot Park and Minute Maid Park.[1][2]
Sources
- MLB.com
2026 World Baseball Classic championship round venues
August 8, 2024
https://www.mlb.com/news/wbc-2026-championship-round-venues-minute-maid-loandepot-499962692 - MLB.com
World Baseball Classic history
Accessed October 2024
https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic/history - Baseball-Reference.com
Eugenio Suárez player page
Accessed October 2024
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suareeu01.shtml - MLB.com
Eduardo Rodriguez player page
Accessed October 2024
https://www.mlb.com/player/eduardo-rodriguez-608566