It\u2019s Venezuela\u2019s first World Baseball Classic title in six iterations of the tournament. Japan has won three times (2006, 2009, 2023), while the Dominican Republic (2013) and United States (2017) have won once each.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were feeling at home,\u201d said third baseman Maikel Garcia, was named tournament MVP. \u201cThere were more Venezuelan fans than American fans. We were used to this at stages, but not the American players. And that was clear during the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emotions quickly hit the team after Daniel Palencia struck out Roman Anthony to end the game. Palacio threw his glove in the air and fell to his knees in front of the mound. A dogpile proceeded to form there as the dugout and bullpen cleared. Multiple players had Venezuelan flags draped around their necks.<\/p>\n
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And yes, the tears flowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur country deserved this game,\u201d star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. said.<\/p>\n
They played for more than themselves. They played for their families, for their country, for their people back home dealing with the political upheaval and uncertain future.<\/p>\n
Venezuela manager Omar Lopez said several times throughout the tournament that he wouldn\u2019t discuss politics. His simply wanted his team\u2019s success throughout this tournament to serve as a chance to bring \u201cjoy to our country.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was dreaming about this moment,\u201d Lopez said, \u201cthat we were champions.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not a dream anymore.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s reality.<\/p>\n
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\u201cVenezuelans know the effort that we make,\u201d Venezuela catcher and team captain Salvador Perez said. \u201cAfter beating Italy [in the semifinals], I saw the videos of the people on the streets celebrating in the smallest town in the country, a black-and-white TV set, and those people supporting us, kneeling down. … They were with us here in our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Venezuela](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/04bb07c096f6e92e7b098f9dff9d5274.jpeg\"\/)
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Venezuela pitcher Daniel Palencia (29) celebrates after defeating the United States in their World Baseball Classic final game at loanDepot Park on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Miami, Fla.<\/p>\n
(Photo by Matias J. Ocner\/mocner@miamiherald.com)<\/p>\n
The United States tied the game in the eighth inning on a Bryce Harper two-run home run before Venezuela put together one final offensive surge.<\/p>\n
It started with a Luis Arraez leadoff walk. Javier Sanoja, the Miami Marlins\u2019 super-utility player who had spent the first eight innings serving as Venezuela\u2019s hype man in the dugout, entered as a pinch-runner and promptly stole second base.<\/p>\n
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Then Suarez had his go-ahead double that drove in Sanoja. It was just his fourth hit of the tournament but his third that went for extra bases after also hitting a pair of home runs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis right now is priceless,\u201d Sanoja said. \u201cOur country needed this and thank God we seized the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marlins\u2019 Javier Sanoja scores Venezuela\u2019s World Baseball Classic-winning run<\/a><\/p>\n Venezuela\u2019s catcher Salvador Perez (13) scores after Maikel Garcia hits a sacrifice fly to center field as United States catcher Will Smith (16) looks towards the infield in the third inning of the final game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic against the United States at loanDepot park on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. <\/p>\n (PHOTO BY AL DIAZ\/adiaz@miamiherald.com)<\/p>\n Garcia opened scoring for Venezuela with a third-inning sacrifice fly that plated Perez, who led off the inning with a single before moving to second on a Ronald Acuna Jr. walk and third on a wild pitch.<\/p>\n Abreu then doubled his country\u2019s lead two innings later with his second home run of the tournament, crushing a middle-middle fastball from United States starting pitcher Nolan McLean and sending it 414 feet to center field.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n That almost turned out to be enough offense for Venezuela as its pitching staff held a vaunted USA offense \u2014 one with a combined 28 All-Star nods, 14 Silver Slugger awards and five MVP honors amongst its starting lineup \u2014 to just two hits and two walks through the first seven innings.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you are well-planned, when you understand things, and when you have a clear communication, good things can happen,\u201d said two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, who served as one of Venezuela\u2019s two pitching coaches for the tournament, \u201cand that happened today. We had a good planning and a good execution for the plan, and that\u2019s why we are champions today.\u201d<\/p>\n Venezuela pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (52) pitches against the United States in the first inning during the final game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. <\/p>\n (PHOTO BY AL DIAZ\/adiaz@miamiherald.com)<\/p>\n It started with Rodriguez, a 10-year MLB veteran with a career 4.19 ERA, giving up just one hit (a Brice Turang single) and one walk (to Kyle Schwarber) while pitching into the fifth inning. He had four strikeouts, including two to Aaron Judge. He received a rousing standing ovation from the Venezuela-heavy crowd at loanDepot park when Lopez took him out of the game.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Venezuela\u2019s bullpen, which was dominant in its quarterfinal upset over defending champion Japan<\/a> on Saturday and its semifinal win against tournament darling Italy<\/a> on Monday, picked up where Rodriguez left off.<\/p>\n Eduard Bazardo got the final two outs in the fifth. Jose Butto worked around a two-out single to Harper in the sixth by getting Judge to ground out to third base. Angel Zerpa got two outs in the seventh before issuing a walk to Roman Anthony. Andres Machado entered and stranded Anthony by getting Will Smith to pop out.<\/p>\n![\"Venezuela\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6a19567fd1f2729dfc9c11f4f592fb81.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Venezuela](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fb9b0834e3cf1dded133713ab9913f4f.jpeg\"\/)
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