Venezuela beats US 3-2 on Suárez’s 9th-inning double to win first World Baseball Classic title

MIAMI — Thirty-three minutes after the final out, the Venezuelan national anthem still echoed through loanDepot park as Eugenio Suárez and his teammates sang from a stage behind second base, gold medals flashing under the stadium lights. Venezuela had just captured its first World Baseball Classic championship, edging the United States 3-2 on Suárez’s tiebreaking double in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday night.

The dramatic swing capped a back-and-forth final that saw Bryce Harper erase a two-run deficit with a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth, only for Venezuela to answer in its last turn at bat. Luis Arraez drew a lead-off walk in the ninth, pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second, and Suárez rifled a full-count change-up from Boston’s Garrett Whitlock into the left-center gap to bring home the winning run.

Manager Omar López, who began the day negotiating pitcher availability via text message, watched Daniel Palencia strike out two of the three batters he faced—capping the game with a 99.7-mph fastball that Roman Anthony swung under—to seal a three-hit complete game for the bullpen.

“We’re warriors,” outfielder Wilyer Abreu said. Abreu’s fifth-inning homer off rookie Nolan McLean and Maikel Garcia’s third-inning sacrifice fly had built the early 2-0 lead before Harper’s swing briefly silenced the pro-Venezuela crowd of 36,190.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez set the tone with 4 1/3 innings of one-hit ball, handing off to a parade of relievers—Eduard Bazardo, José Buttó, Angel Zerpa, Andrés Machado and Palencia—who kept the star-studded U.S. lineup at bay until Harper’s eighth-inning bolt.

The loss extends America’s title drought to eight years; the U.S. has not won the WBC since 2017. Manager Mark DeRosa, who also guided the 2023 runners-up, conceded his club never found an offensive rhythm, batting .188 across three knockout games and scoring only nine runs.

Venezuela’s triumph reverberated far beyond Miami. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared Wednesday a National Day of Joy, granting a non-working holiday to all but essential workers. In Caracas, thousands packed Plaza de la Juventud, waving flags and chanting the anthem in unison. “The United States is a superpower, and the fact that we beat them makes me very proud,” high-school student Yorleiny Mestra said.

Tournament MVP Maikel Garcia finished with a WBC-best 10 hits and seven RBIs while hitting .385, bolstering his claim that Venezuela should sit atop the next world rankings. “They underestimated us because we had never won anything, but we are powerful,” Garcia said.

For veteran catcher Salvador Pérez, the moment transcended sport. “When you fight for your country, that goes beyond” the World Series, he said. “The sacrifices made by our parents, those people that helped us—that’s why this means a lot to me and to Venezuela.”

As Venezuelans poured onto the infield, the stunned Americans leaned against the dugout rail, absorbing a defeat that will linger until the next tournament in 2029. Harper, who went 2-for-4 on the night, crossed the field to offer congratulations. “They had a great tournament,” he said. “They're the best team in the world.”

Venezuela now joins the Dominican Republic as the only Latin American nations to win the WBC, while the global baseball community is reminded that October-like drama can unfold in March when flags, not franchises, are stitched across players’ chests.