MIAMI (AP) \u2014 Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr., Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez hit run-scoring, two-out singles in a seventh-inning rally that led Venezuela over Italy 4-2 on Monday night and into its first World Baseball Classic championship game.<\/p>\n
Venezuela overcame a 2-0, fourth-inning deficit after rebounding from a three-run hole to beat defending champion Japan in a quarterfinal and reached the final for the first time after losing to South Korea in its only previous semifinal appearance in 2009.<\/p>\n
It meets the United States for the title on Tuesday night and appears likely to start Eduardo Rodr\u00edguez against the Americans\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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 at loanDepot park roared.<\/p>\n
Italy went ahead in the second when Keider Montero forced in a run with three straight walks, the last to J.J. D\u2019Orazio. Dante Nori hit into a run-scoring forceout against Ricardo S\u00e1nchez, the first of six relievers who combined to finish a five-hitter.<\/p>\n
Eugenio Su\u00e1rez’s fourth-inning homer off Aaron Nola started the comeback, and winner \u00c1ngel Zerpa escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth when he threw a sinker on the outside corner past Sam Antonacci.<\/p>\n
Gleyber Torres walked leading off the seventh against loser Michael Lorenzen, and Jackson Chourio’s two-out single put runners at the corners.<\/p>\n
Acu\u00f1a grounded to the shortstop hole and beat Antonacci’s throw from the outfield grass as pinch-runner Andr\u00e9s Gim\u00e9nez 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.<\/p>\n
Daniel Palencia got three outs for the save, striking out Antonacci to end the game.<\/p>\n
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