Talk about a nail-biter! Venezuela just snagged its first World Baseball Classic title, beating the U.S. 3-2 in a final game that went down to the wire.
Venezuela took the lead early. In the third inning, Maikel Garcia got the first run on the board. Then, Wilyer Abreu smashed a homer in the fifth, making it 2-0. Pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez and the bullpen were seriously locked in, holding the U.S. to just two hits for seven innings.
But then, the U.S. came roaring back. In the eighth, Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer, tying the game and making everyone in the stadium hold their breath.
We're a new kind of news feed.
Regular news is designed to drain you. We're a non-profit built to restore you. Every story we publish is scored for impact, progress, and hope.
Start Your News DetoxThe Ninth Inning Showdown
That's when things got wild. In the ninth, Luis Arraez walked. Pinch-runner Javier Sanoja then pulled off a slick stolen base, putting him in scoring position. Eugenio Suárez stepped up and hit a double, bringing Sanoja home for the winning run. Daniel Palencia closed it out, securing his third save of the tournament.
Seriously cool fact: Maikel Garcia, who got that first run, was named the tournament MVP. He hit .385 with seven RBIs. That's a pretty big deal!
Venezuelan fans went absolutely nuts, both in Miami and back home in Caracas. Many were singing the national anthem. As high school student Yorleiny Mestra in Caracas put it, "The United States is a superpower, and the fact that we beat them makes me very proud of Venezuela." It's only the second Latin American country to win the WBC, after the Dominican Republic in 2013.
Even with huge stars like Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper, the U.S. offense just couldn't quite connect. They only scored nine runs in their three knockout games. Meanwhile, Venezuela's win wasn't a total surprise; last year, 63 Venezuelan players were on MLB opening-day rosters, second only to the Dominican Republic. This win is a massive moment for baseball in Venezuela.
