Venezuela rallies past Italy 4-2
with 3-run 7th and will face US for World Baseball Classic title
[March 17, 2026]
By RONALD BLUM
MIAMI (AP) — Venezuelan players danced in the dugout before the
first pitch, then pranced past Italy and into their nation's first
World Baseball Classic final.
Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez hit run-scoring,
two-out singles in a rapid seventh-inning rally that sparked a 4-2
victory Monday night and vaulted Venezuela into a title matchup
against the United States.
Players celebrated in the clubhouse before quickly turning focus to
the final.
“A lot of dancing,” Garcia said. “We have to show the world who
Venezuela is.”
Before each WBC game, Venezuelan players gather around a drum in the
dugout for the tambor, coastal Afro-Venezuelan music and dance. They
circle and shake, chant and enchant as they prepare to take the
field in their nation's yellow, red and blue.
“That’s us. That’s our country,” manager Omar López said. “That’s
winter ball. That’s how we enjoy our baseball.”
And who is tops at the tambor?
“Honestly, I think my cousin is the best dancer,” Garcia said in the
postgame interview room, turning to Acuña, who was seated next to
him and laughed at his relative's remark.
Eduardo Rodríguez is slated to start Tuesday night against the
Americans’ Nolan McLean. Because both teams are 5-1, a coin toss was
held earlier Monday to determine the home team, and the U.S. won.
Players avoided discussing the political turmoil between the U.S.
and Venezuela.
“We’re here to speak baseball,” Acuña said. “Our country deserves
the game tomorrow.”
Venezuela overcame a 2-0, fourth-inning deficit after climbing out
of a three-run hole to beat defending champion Japan in a
quarterfinal. The Venezuelans reached the championship round for the
first time after losing to South Korea in their only previous
semifinal appearance in 2009.
In 2023, Venezuela wasted a two-run, eighth-inning lead in a 9-7
quarterfinal loss to the U.S. in Miami as Trea Turner hit an
eighth-inning grand slam.
“Baseball gives you these kind of opportunities,” Acuña said. “Life
is so ironic.”
Italy, the first European nation to reach a WBC semifinal, had been
5-0 in the tournament and sparked attention with an espresso-sipping
ritual after home runs and victory celebrations featuring Italian
wine.
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Venezuela pitcher Daniel Palencia reacts after the team defeats
Italy during a World Baseball Classic semifinal game, Monday, March
16, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
But a team with three Italy-born players, a handful
of major leaguers and many from the minors couldn't hold a
late-inning lead against a batting order that got three straight
RBIs from All-Stars as a pro-Venezuelan sellout crowd of 35,382 at
loanDepot park roared.
“In three years they are going to take us seriously,” Italy manager
Francisco Cervelli said. “I just told the guys that they are the
champions of this tournament. ... They revolutionized Italy. They
put another sport on the map.”
Italy went ahead in the second when Keider Montero
forced in a run with three straight walks, the last to J.J. D’Orazio.
Dante Nori hit into a run-scoring forceout against Ricardo Sánchez,
the first of six relievers who combined to finish a five-hitter.
Eugenio Suárez's fourth-inning homer off Aaron Nola started the
comeback, and winner Ángel Zerpa escaped a bases-loaded jam in the
sixth when he threw a sinker on the outside corner past Sam
Antonacci.
Gleyber Torres walked leading off the seventh against loser Michael
Lorenzen, and Jackson Chourio's two-out single put runners at the
corners.
Acuña grounded to the shortstop hole and beat Antonacci's throw from
the outfield grass as pinch-runner Andrés Giménez scored. Garcia
lined a 2-0 fastball to left, driving in Chourio with the go-ahead
run, and Arraez chased Lorenzen when he singled on a full-count
fastball.
Daniel Palencia got three straight outs for the save, striking out
Antonacci to end the game.
As Venezuelans jumped and screamed, Italy players spent 10 minutes
in front of their dugout hugging each other and saluting fans. Team
captain Vinnie Pasquantino talked about the millions thought to have
watched on television in Italy, where the first pitch was thrown at
1:08 a.m. Tuesday.
“We weren’t successful on the field tonight, but we were successful
in Italy,” he said. “And that’s what this is all about.”
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