Final Score — Venezuela 3, USA 2
Team USA's late rally falls short as Venezuela wins its first World Baseball Classic title. Read below for the live recap of the WBC Final in Miami:
Pregame
Team USA's starting lineup features seven All-Stars and six World Series rings. Nolan McClean takes the bump for the stars and stripes. He is the first rookie pitcher to start in a WBC Championship Game.
- Bobby Witt Jr. - SS
- Bryce Harper - 1B
- Aaron Judge - RF
- Kyle Schwarber - DH
- Alex Bregman - 3B
- Roman Anthony - LF
- Will Smith - C
- Brice Turang - 2B
- Byron Buxton - CF
- Nolan McLean - SP
Top 1st — USA 0, Venezuela 0
Ronald Acuña Jr. starts the game with a bang for Venezuela by smoking a 108 MPH single up the middle on the first pitch. Nolan McLean quickly gets things under control, however, when he induces a double-play ball from Maikel Garcia on a sweeper. Luis Arraez flies out for the third out, and McLean is through the first.
Top 3rd — Venezuela 1, USA 0
Venezuela strikes first. Veteran catcher Salvador Perez leads off the third with a single, and Ronald Acuña Jr. reaches once again on a walk. After a wild pitch from McLean brings Perez and Acuña 90 feet closer, Maikel Garcia makes the young right-hander pay. Garcia's sacrifice fly pushes the first run of the game across for Venezuela, and Team USA trails by one.
Bottom 4th — Venezuela 1, USA 0
After allowing just one baserunner in the first three innings, Rodriguez continues to stymie the American offense. He gets Bryce Harper to groundout to start the inning before striking out Aaron Judge for the second time tonight. Kyle Schwarber earns a walk, but another grounder from Alex Bregman has Rodriguez through four scoreless.
Top 5th — Venezuela 2, USA 0
Wilyer Abreu leads off the inning with a missile to dead center for a solo home run. Nolan McLean retires the next two hitters, but Manager Mark DeRosa elects to go to the bullpen with Ronald Acuña Jr. coming up again. Brad Keller gets a groundout to end the inning, and Venezuela leads by two. McLean finishes with four hits allowed and four punchouts in 4.2 innings.
Top 6th — Venezuela 2, USA 0
Keller gets three outs on seven pitches in the sixth. His strikeout of Eugenio Suárez is the 81st of the tournament for Team USA pitchers, which breaks the WBC record set by Japan in 2023.
Bottom 6th — Venezuela 2, USA 0
The U.S. gets its second hit of the game on a two-out single from Bryce Harper. Aaron Judge comes to the plate as the tying run but grounds out to third to end the inning. Team USA has had just three baserunners through six innings.
Top 8th — Venezuela 2, USA 0
Griffin Jax enters to pitch for the stars and stripes and retires the side on eight pitches. The U.S. pitchers continue to do their part, as they have struck out seven and walked just one through eight innings. Venezuela leads by two.
Bottom 8th — USA 2, Venezuela 2
Things look bleak for Team USA after two outs to begin the inning. Bobby Witt Jr. provides hope, however, when he earns a four-pitch walk that brings Bryce Harper to the plate. With just four outs to go in the game, Harper unleashes on a 1-0 pitch for a 432 foot rocket over the centerfield fence. The U.S. and Venezuela are knotted up heading into the ninth.
Top 9th — Venezuela 3, USA 2
Venezuela quickly retakes the lead. Luis Arraez earns a leadoff walk against Garrett Whitlock, and pinch-runner Javier Sanoja swipes second to put a runner in scoring position for Eugenio Suárez. The Venezuelan DH makes the most of the opportunity, doubling to left-center to score the go-ahead run. Team USA enters the bottom of the ninth downby one.
Bottom 9th — Venezuela 3, USA 2
Venezuela closes the door on the U.S. in the ninth, as Daniel Palencia retires the side. Team USA finishes as the runner-up for the second straight WBC.
