Venezuela stun United States in World Baseball Classic final amidst political turmoil

Venezuela have won the World Baseball Classic for the first time, rebounding from a blown eighth-inning lead to beat the powerful United States.

The South Americans achieved the boilover Tuesday night on Eugenio Suárez’s tiebreaking double in the ninth to win 3-2.

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 crowd.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez and lights-out relievers limited the Americans to two hits through the seventh.

Bobby Witt Jr. walked with two outs in the eighth and Bryce Harper drove the second straight changeup from Andrés Machado over the centre-field fence for a two-run homer that tied it. Harper slowly trotted around the bases and took time at third to salute coach Dino Ebel.

Luis Arraez walked against Garrett Whitlock starting the ninth. Pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second just ahead of catcher Will Smith’s throw and came home when Suárez doubled to the left-centre gap. 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.

Daniel Palencia struck out two in a perfect bottom half to finish a three-hitter and get his third save of the WBC, striking out Roman Anthony to end the game. Venezuelans ran onto the infield to celebrate as the dismayed Americans stared while leaning on their dugout railing.

“Nobody believed in Venezuela but now we win the championship,” Suárez said. “This is a celebration for all the Venezuelan country.”

Garcia was selected the tournament MVP after hitting .385 with seven RBIs.

Despite a heralded roster of stars led by Aaron Judge, Harper and Paul Skenes, the US lost its second straight final of baseball’s premier international event and remained without a title since 2017.

Venezuela became the second Latin American nation to win the WBC, after the Dominican Republic in 2013. The US took the title in 2017 and lost the 2023 final to three-time champions Japan on this field.

In the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, people also sang the anthem as they gathered in a public plaza 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.”