WBC: Venezuela the Champions with Win over United States

Eugenio Suarez of Venezuela celebrating the go-ahead double against the United States in the 2026 World Baseball Classic final

Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images

March 17, 2026

Venezuela 3, United States 2

MIAMI (Mar. 17) — A ninth-inning double by Eugenio Suarez broke a 2–2 tie, and Daniel Palencia pitched a perfect ninth to give Venezuela a 3–2 victory over the United States in the 2026 World Baseball Classic final Tuesday night. The WBC championship is the first for Venezuela.

Venezuela – United States Game Summary

Venezuela took a 1–0 in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly by Maikel Garcia. A Wilyer Abreu leadoff home run in the fifth inning extended the lead to 2–0.

Entering the bottom of the eighth, the United States had only managed four base runners. None had advanced past first base. With two outs, Bobby Witt Jr. drew a walk against Andres Machado, bringing up Bryce Harper. On a 1–0 count, Harper clobbered a hanging changeup to dead center. 432 feet later, it landed on the berm beyond the fence for a game-tying homer.

That lead did not last long. With no one out in the top of the ninth, Suarez ripped his RBI double to the gap in left-center. That put Venezuela back ahead, 3–2, to finish the scoring. Closer Daniel Palencia pitched a 1–2–3 ninth to slam the door on the United States and give Venezuela its first WBC championship.

What Went Right for the United States

Starting Pitching

Nolan McLean allowed two runs on four hits across 4 2/3 innings. He added two walks, four strikeouts, and a home run allowed. This performance kept the United States within striking distance, though they ultimately faltered.

The Eighth Inning

What began as another whimper turned into a roar. With two outs, Witt drew a walk before Harper’s game-tying blast.

What Went Wrong for the United States

Batted Ball Luck

The United States hit the ball hard several times only for it to go straight to a defender — a classic case of Atom Ball Syndrome.

For example, Witt hit a 105.8 mph drive in the first that was caught on the warning track. He had another hard-hit ball in the third (103.0 mph) that was caught in center field. Harper smoked a 102.5 rocket that went straight to the second baseman for a fourth-inning groundout. Aaron Judge and Alex Bregman each had hard-hit atom balls to third, as well. Judge (99.5) hit his in the sixth and Bregman (98.9) hit his in the seventh.

Lack of Baserunners

The United States had five baserunners, not including the Harper home run. Only one of the five even touched second base, and he did so while running out the homer.

The Ninth Inning

Garrett Whitlock had been automatic all tournament, retiring nine of the ten batters he had faced. The only blemish was a Joey Meneses single to lead off the ninth in the Mexico game. But in this game, he gave up a leadoff walk followed by the go-ahead double.

What Went Right for Venezuela

Starting Pitching and Middle Relief

Eduardo Rodriguez was terrific. Facing 15 batters across 4 1/3 scoreless innings, he allowed one hit, one walk, and struck out four.

Eduard Bazardo, Jose Butto, and Angel Zerpa combined for 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. They retired seven of the nine batters they faced, only allowing one hit (Harper single off Butto) and one walk (Roman Anthony against Zerpa).

“Rodriguez has been a darn good pitcher in the league for a long time,” United States manager Mark DeRosa said. “Different variations of the heater. Good changeup. Kept the guys off balance. Worked both corners, cutters, sinkers, four-seamers in to the righties. He’s a good pitcher.”

Of the middle relievers, he pointed out that they were virtually the same relievers used to silence Italy Monday night. He closed by saying, “They’ve got good stuff. Bottom line, good stuff.”

Took Advantage of Opportunities

Venezuela had eight baserunners. Three scored, including Abreu on his solo homer.

Closing Relief

Daniel Palencia silenced a murderer’s row of Kyle Schwarber, Gunnar Henderson, and Roman Anthony in a 1-2-3 ninth.

What Went Wrong for Venezuela

The Eighth Inning

The only real blemishes from Venezuela came in the eighth — the two-out walk and Harper homer.

The Champions

Machado, despite a blown save, earned the win for Venezuela as Whitlock took the loss, both in relief. Palencia notched the save.

Venezuela is the fourth team to win the World Baseball Classic after six iterations of the tournament. Japan has won three (2006, 2009, 2023). Other than Venezuela, the other champions have been the Dominican Republic (2013) and the United States (2017).

Venezuela third baseman Maikel Garcia won tournament MVP. He hit .385 with a homer and seven RBI. One RBI was the first of this game. He also had a key hit Monday night in Venezuela’s three-run seventh-inning rally against Italy in the semifinal.