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Team USA drops heartbreaker to Venezuela in WBC championship game
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- Team USA drops heartbreaker to Venezuela in WBC championship game
USA Venezuela WBC
The dream team had a nightmare ending.
And even Bryce Harper 's late-inning heroics were not enough.
The United States rallied but lost 3-2 to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic championship game at loanDepot park, falling short in the title game for the second straight tournament.
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With the game tied in the top of the ninth, Eugenio Suárez delivered the go-ahead hit with an RBI double off reliever Garrett Whitlock .
"Nobody believed in Venezuela, but now we won the championship today!" Suarez exclaimed in an on-field interview with Fox . "It's a celebration for all of the Venezuela [people]."
Arguably the most talented lineup the U.S. has ever assembled in the WBC struggled throughout to muster not only hits but to make hard contact, as the Americans were stymied most of the game by the Venezuelan staff.
Venezuela outfielder Wilyer Abreu (16) reacts after hitting a home run against the United States in the fifth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game at loanDepot Park on March 17, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
United States right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after striking out against the Venezuela in the first inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game at loanDepot Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Harper had two of the three United States hits, with Brice Turang collecting the other. Captain Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber , hitting third and fourth in the lineup, went a combined 0-for-7 with six strikeouts.
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"We came out of Arizona absolutely smoking the ball in the two exhibition games we played and for what whatever reason, we just couldn't get it rolling offensively," manager Mark DeRosa told reporters. "Even tonight, you look up in the seventh, and they had a two-hit shutout. "Hats off to them. For them to battle last night against Italy, for them to use their entire bullpen, those guys to come back out on no rest was pretty special to watch."
The Americans had two singles and did not move a runner past first base until the eighth inning, when Harper stepped in and walloped a towering two-run homer 432 feet to center field to knot up the game.
United States Bryce Harper throws his bat after hitting a home run during the eighth inning in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against Venezuela, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Miami. AP
Mets youngster Nolan McLean pitched well but couldn't keep Venezuela off the board, as he yielded two runs over 4 2/3 innings. Wilyer Abreu had the big shot, a solo homer to lead off the fifth inning.
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"I felt good out there, proud of the way I competed," said McLean, who graded his start a seven out of 10. "Stuff felt great, filling up the zone, tried to control everything I could."
He added that he felt proud to don the red, white and blue.
Eugenio Suárez #7 of Team Venezuela reacts after hitting an RBI double against Team United States during the ninth inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images
"It's very rare you get that feeling and that pride," McLean said. "Being able to do that for your country is just special."
The U.S. bullpen then kept Venezuela in check until the ninth, when Whitlock crumbled, allowing his first run of the tournament.
"I'm always fired up for the Yankees , but I'm still pissed about this," Judge said. "I'm looking forward to the next time we get a chance to put on the red, white & blue and take care of business"
Daniel Palencia shut down the Americans in the ninth, and Venezuela claimed its first WBC crown.
"We play with passion, with love, because we feel the jersey," Suárez added.
