Venezuela defeats United States 3-2 to win first World Baseball Classic title
Venezuela beat the United States 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic championship game on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida, claiming the nation's first WBC title.[1]
The victory marked only the fourth different winner in tournament history, following championships by Japan in 2006, 2009 and 2023, the United States in 2017, and the Dominican Republic in 2013.[2]
Venezuela reached the final after a semifinal win over Italy on March 16. In the title game, starter Eduardo Rodriguez, a 32-year-old left-hander for the Arizona Diamondbacks who posted a 5.02 ERA over 16 starts in 2024, pitched 4.1 innings and allowed one hit with four strikeouts on 57 pitches.[3]
Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning to give Venezuela a 2-0 lead. Maikel Garcia had added an RBI via a sacrifice fly in the third inning for the first run.
The United States managed two hits in the game. Bryce Harper 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 Suarez delivered an RBI double with two outs after a walk and stolen base, scoring the go-ahead run. Reliever Daniel Palencia, of the Chicago Cubs, then pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth with two strikeouts to close the victory.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic final was held at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins, which hosted the 2023 championship game as well.[1][4]
Sources
- MLB.com, "World Baseball Classic 2026 dates, venues announced", December 4, 2024, https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-dates-venues-announced
- Wikipedia, "World Baseball Classic", accessed October 10, 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic
- Baseball-Reference.com, "Eduardo Rodríguez", accessed October 10, 2024, https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodried03.shtml
- Wikipedia, "LoanDepot park", accessed October 10, 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoanDepot_park
