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Venezuela defeated the United States 3-2 on Tuesday night to win their first World Baseball Classic title, a landmark triumph in a politically charged final that resonated far beyond the diamond.
Eugenio Suárez drove in the winning run in the top of the ninth inning to seal a dramatic victory for the South American side at Miami’s LoanDepot Park.
After Daniel Palencia struck out Roman Anthony with a 100mph fastball for the final out, Venezuelan players poured onto the field, many draped in their national flag, celebrating a moment years in the making.
“Nobody believed in Venezuela, but now we win the championship today,” an elated Suárez said afterwards. “What can I say about this? God is good! Jesus, he was with us the whole time. We have to glorify [him], put his name in front of everything.”
The game, played before a sold-out crowd of 36,190 mostly pro-Venezuela spectators at Miami’s LoanDepot Park, had been framed from the outset by geopolitical tension. Relations between the two countries have been strained since January, when US forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Players insisted throughout the week that their focus remained on baseball, but the wider context was impossible to ignore.
US president Donald Trump added to that backdrop with a Truth Social post on Monday night ahead of the final, writing: “Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?”
Moments after Tuesday’s final out he repeated the taunt, posting: “STATEHOOD!!! President DJT”
Venezuela’s players declined to engage publicly with the rhetoric.
“We’re here to speak baseball,” Ronald Acuña Jr said. And on the field, they did so emphatically.
Facing a US “dream team” teeming with Major League Baseball stars and seeking their first title since 2017, Venezuela leaned on the same formula that carried them through upset wins over Japan and Italy: timely hitting, depth throughout the lineup and a refusal to wilt in big moments.
Both starters were sharp early. Venezuela’s Eduardo Rodríguez and US right-hander Nolan McLean worked scoreless first and second innings.
Venezuela broke through in the third when Salvador Pérez singled, Acuña walked and both advanced on a wild pitch. Maikel García followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Pérez for a 1-0 lead.
Wilyer Abreu added to the lead in the fifth with a solo home run to center field for a 2-0 advantage. Rodríguez allowed limited traffic before exiting, while Venezuela’s bullpen kept the US lineup in check.
The United States had few chances. Bryce Harper singled in the sixth but was stranded. The Americans did not advance a runner past second through seven full innings as Venezuela’s pitching and defense held the lead.
Then came Harper’s two-run home run off Andrés Machado in the bottom of the eighth, which tied the game at 2-2 and sent the Miami crowd into delirium. But Suárez’s RBI double in the top of the ninth put Venezuela ahead for good, before Palencia retired the Americans in order to seal the title.
The US players had arrived at the ballpark on Tuesday afternoon in game-worn US Olympic hockey jerseys coordinated by outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jack Hughes, who scored the gold medal-winning goal against Canada last month.
