Venezuela beats US 3-2 on Suárez’s
9th-inning double to win first World Baseball Classic title
[March 18, 2026]
By RONALD BLUM
MIAMI (AP) — Eugenio Suárez and his Venezuelan teammates stood on
the stage behind second base with shiny medals draped over their
proud chests, belting out their national anthem accompanied by tens
of thousands of fans who remained in the ballpark a half-hour after
the final out.
Back home, people were singing their praises, too.
Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic for the first time Tuesday
night, beating the United States 3-2 in the championship game on
Suárez's tiebreaking double in the top of the ninth inning.
“They were with us here in our hearts,” Venezuela captain Salvador
Perez said of his countrymen. “The World Series, as you all know, is
one of the most important championships in the major leagues, but
when you fight for your country, that goes beyond. That feeling, the
country where you were born and raised, the sacrifices made by our
parents, those people that helped us, that’s why this means a lot to
me and to Venezuela.”
Bryce Harper's two-run homer with two outs in the eighth tied the
score for the U.S., but Suárez hit a go-ahead double in the ninth
and Daniel Palencia pitched a perfect bottom half.
“Baseball wanted us to fail, to fall down," Venezuela manager Omar
López said. “You put aside your individuality and you are going to
achieve those results.”
Venezuela acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared Wednesday a
National Day of Joy and made it a non-working holiday except for
essential workers.
“My country needs that championship,” star outfielder Ronald Acuña
Jr. said, wiping tears from his eyes. “I just want to make my people
proud. That's what I did today.”
In the capital of Caracas, thousands also sang the anthem as they
gathered in the Plaza de la Juventud (Plaza of Youth) to the racket
of honking horns from cars and motorcycles.
“I’m overjoyed. It’s too much for me!” high school student Yorleiny
Mestra said. “The United States is a superpower, and the fact that
we beat them makes me very proud of Venezuela.”
Maikel Garcia’s third-inning sacrifice fly and Wilyer Abreu’s
fifth-inning homer off rookie Nolan McLean built a 2-0 lead before a
roaring, pro-Latin America sellout crowd of 36,190 at loanDepot
park. Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez and a string of lights-out
relievers limited the Americans to two hits through the seventh.
“We were feeling at home. There were more Venezuelan fans than
American fans,” Garcia said.
Bobby Witt Jr. walked with two outs in the eighth and Harper drove
the second straight changeup from Andrés Machado over the
center-field fence.
Boston's Garrett Whitlock started the ninth instead of San Diego's
Mason Miller, perhaps baseball's best reliever, because U.S. manager
Mark DeRosa promised the Padres he would use Miller only in a save
situation.
Luis Arraez walked, and pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second just
ahead of catcher Will Smith's one-hop throw. Sanoja came home when
Suárez doubled to the left-center gap on a full-count changeup.
Suárez spread his arms wide and pointed to the sky at second base
while teammates streamed from the dugout to greet Sanoja at the
plate.
“We’re warriors,” Abreu said. “We’re going to fight for that game to
win it.”
López awoke Tuesday to three text messages denying him use of
pitchers but said he successfully negotiated to lift the
restrictions.
Pitching for the third time in four days, Palencia struck out two to
finish a three-hitter for his third save of the WBC, ending the game
by getting Roman Anthony to swing under a 99.7 mph fastball.
As Venezuelans ran onto the infield to celebrate, the dismayed
Americans stared while leaning on their dugout railing.
[to top of second column] |
Venezuela pitcher Daniel Palencia celebrates after the team defeated
the United States in the championship game of the World Baseball
Classic, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca
Blackwell)
“Nobody believed in Venezuela but now we win the
championship,” Suárez said. “This is a celebration for all the
Venezuelan country.”
While the U.S., Japan and the Dominican Republic got much of the
attention ahead of the sixth edition of the 20-nation event,
Venezuela’s success was not that surprising. Sixty-three players
born in Venezuela appeared on Major League Baseball opening-day
rosters last year, second-most from outside the U.S. behind the
Dominican Republic’s 100.
Garcia was selected the tournament MVP after
hitting .385 with a WBC-high 10 hits and seven RBIs.
“They underestimated Venezuela because we had never won anything,
but we are powerful,” Garcia said. “We won today, and I expect that
in the new ranking, we are No. 1 and Japan is No. 2.”
Despite a heralded roster of stars led by Aaron Judge, Harper and
Paul Skenes, the U.S. remained without a title since 2017. DeRosa
also led the 2023 American team that lost the final 3-2 to Japan and
would come back for 2029 if offered another chance.
“Ultimately, it’s who gets hot at the right time, who gets a big
swing,” he said. “It just seemed like we couldn’t get the offense
going the entire tournament.”
Rodríguez (4 1/3 innings) was followed by Eduard Bazardo (two outs),
José Buttó (three), Angel Zerpa (two), Machado (four) and Palencia.
Judge was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and hit .222 with five RBIs
in the tournament, while Harper improved to .214 with three RBIs
with two hits against Venezuela. Alex Bregman batted .143 with four
RBIs. The U.S. scored nine runs in the three knockout-round games
while batting .188.
After the final out, Harper walked over to Venezuelan players to
shake their hands.
“I understand what it takes to win games,” he said. “They had a
great tournament, and I just wanted to let them know:
congratulations. They're the best team in the world."
Ahead of a matchup with political overtones, players and coaches
avoided discussing the government turmoil between the nations,
heightened when the U.S. military captured Venezuela President
Nicolás Maduro in January.
Venezuela became the second Latin American nation to win the WBC,
after the Dominican Republic in 2013. The U.S. has just one title,
in 2017.
Repeatedly during the tournament, Venezuelan players described the
team as a family, and brothers Willson and William Contreras went on
the podium together to receive their medals and sing the Venezuelan
anthem, “Gloria al Bravo Pueblo (Glory to the Brave People).”
“We play with passion, with love, because we feel the jersey,”
Suárez said.
U.S. players had arrived at loanDepot park in game-worn U.S. Olympic
hockey jerseys coordinated by outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and
Jack Hughes, who scored the gold medal-winning goal against Canada
last month.
In a darkened ballpark filled by fans wearing wristbands with
festive blinking lights, Judge and Arraez led the teams down the
foul lines for the introductions while carrying their nation’s
flags.
After the game, many American players mingled with their families on
the field while Venezuelans celebrated in their clubhouse.
"Disappointed," Judge said. “We came here, all of us put on this
uniform, signed up to go out there and get a gold medal.”
___
Associated Press Writer Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas contributed to
this report.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
