Venezuela claims 1st-ever WBC title in thriller over USA

For the first time ever, Venezuela is the World Baseball Classic champion.

Venezuela survived a U.S. comeback to win 3-2 in Tuesday's WBC final at loanDepot Park. Bryce Harper tied the game with a home run in the eighth inning, but Eugenio Suárez answered with a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the ninth that plated the tournament-winning run. Closer Daniel Palencia then set the Americans down in order, striking out Roman Anthony to start the celebration in Caracas and beyond.

This win marks Venezuela's first major international baseball tournament victory since claiming gold at the 1959 Pan-Am Games.

Six Venezuelan pitchers limited the vaunted American offense to just three hits and six baserunners while striking out 10. Team USA didn't get a runner past second base until Harper's tying homer off Andrés Machado in the eighth.

Maikel Garcia opened the scoring for Venezuela with an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the third. Wilyer Abreu continued his monster tournament by crushing a solo homer off USA starter Nolan McLean, who struck out four and allowed the two runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Venezuelan starter Eduardo Rodriguez was brilliant, surrendering one hit while tallying four strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings before yielding to the bullpen.

For Team USA, the result is another crushing loss in the WBC final. The Americans dropped the 2023 championship to Japan in the same ballpark by the same 3-2 score. Team USA has won the tournament only once, in 2017.