It happened again. For the second straight World Baseball Classic, Team USA came up short in the championship game — this time falling to Venezuela, three to two, in a gut-wrenching final at loanDepot Park in Miami.
Venezuela held a two-nothing lead all the way through eight innings, shutting down one of the most star-studded lineups ever assembled. Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge went oh-for-four with three strikeouts.Team USA looked lifeless — until Bryce Harper stepped up.
With two outs in the eighth, Harper launched a game-tying, two-run shot over the center field wall — 432 feet — to knot it at two. The crowd went electric. For a moment, it felt like a storybook comeback.
But Venezuela had one more chapter. Luis Arraez drew a leadoff walk in the ninth, Javier Sanoja stole second on a replay challenge, and Eugenio Suárez ripped a go-ahead RBI double to put Venezuela up three to two. Closer Daniel Palencia then sat Team USA down one-two-three to seal the championship — Venezuela’s first ever WBC title.
Venezuela went six and one in the tournament, knocking off defending champion Japan along the way. America’s wait for a second WBC title continues.
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