Home WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC USA's Hitting Slump Costs Them WBC Title

USA's Hitting Slump Costs Them WBC Title

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USA's Hitting Slump Costs Them WBC Title
Venezuela upsets USA in WBC

Venezuela shocks USA with late comeback in WBC, ending America's title hopes. USA's 3-for-40 slump proves costly as Venezuela takes WBC thriller.


Bryce Harper's two-run homer not enough as Venezuela stuns USA in WBC...


Venezuela pulled off a stunning upset, defeating the USA 3-2 to claim their first-ever World Baseball Classic championship! Eugenio Suarez's clutch RBI double in the top of the ninth broke the tie, and Daniel Palencia closed out the game in a 1-2-3 fashion, shocking the world.


The Venezuelan team, led by manager Omar López, dominated the vaunted USA lineup for much of the game. Starter Eduardo Rodriguez stifled the American batters, and the bullpen was efficient in its execution. Suarez's double, which gave Venezuela a 3-2 lead, was the turning point in the game.


Japan's WBC debut is. They crushed it with dominant pitching, holding USA to just three hits.


USA's got a tough one here - back-to-back WBC championship losses. Bryce Harper gave it a shot, hitting a two-run homer that tied the game in the eighth, but it wasn't enough.




Venezuela's journey to the top was nothing short of amazing. They started strong in the Pool stage with a 3-1 record, their only loss being to the Dominican Republic, who the USA later beat in the semis. From there, they took down reigning champion Team Japan in the quarterfinals, showcasing their skills on the global stage. Their momentum continued as they defeated Italy, the Cinderella team, in the semis, setting them up for their historic WBC title win.


First Inning Recap

The game started with a bang, or rather, a quick end to the first inning! Ronald Acuna Jr. got things off to a great start with a leadoff single, but USA's Nolan McLean quickly turned things around, forcing Maikel Garcia into a double play and getting Luis Arraez to fly out on just the second pitch. Venezuela's Eduardo Rodriguez matched McLean's efficiency, striking out Aaron Judge to end the inning 1-2-3.




On to the second, Venezuela would have another man on base after a two-out single from Ezequiel Tovar, but McLean would force yet another fly out to end another half inning of shutout ball as the rookie continued to deal.


But it continued to be a pitcher duel as Rodriguez would send the USA bats down in 1-2-3 order yet again, retiring the first six bats in the first two innings.




Venezuela started the third inning strong, with veteran Salvador Perez getting his second lead-off hit of the game, snapping a hitless streak in his previous nine at-bats. Nolan McLean responded by striking out Jackson Chourio on three straight pitches, but then walked Ronald Acuna Jr., putting runners on first and second.


Venezuela seized the opportunity as Nolan McLean's wild pitch on a 1-2 count to Maikel Garcia advanced the runners to second and third. They capitalized on the mistake with Garcia's sac-fly to centerfield, scoring Salvador Perez from third and taking a 1-0 lead. Luis Arraez grounded out to end the inning, but the damage was done.


USA's Brice Turang broke the scoreless tie in the third, singling to right field with one out. But Venezuela's Eduardo Rodriguez wasn't having it, striking out Byron Buxton and forcing Bobby Witt Jr. to fly out to center.




In the top of the fourth, McLean would see three batters and send three back to the dugout in his first 1-2-3 inning of the game.


Rodriguez would follow suit in the bottom half of the fourth, almost completing his third 1-2-3 inning, but would get out of it after four batters, surrendering his first walk of the game to Schwarber. 


Wilyer Abreu's big bat was back, crushing a 414-foot solo homer to deep center field, extending Venezuela's lead to 2-0 in the fifth. Abreu's homer was a big blow, considering he only hit two home runs all tournament - the other being the go-ahead shot in Venezuela's quarterfinals upset win over Japan 


Nolan McLean's struggles continued, giving up two more runs before Mark DeRosa pulled him out, bringing in reliever Brad Keller to finish the inning. Keller got Ronald Acuna Jr. to ground out, ending the threat.


Roman Anthony's groundout ended Eduardo Rodriguez's near-flest mistake-free start for Venezuela. He finished strong, tossing 4.1 shutout innings with just one walk, one hit, and four strikeouts.


Brad Keller was on in the top of the sixth, sending down Maikel Garcia, Luis Arraez, and Eugenio Suarez on just seven pitches - USA's second 1-2-3 inning.


Eduard Bazardo came in hot, finishing the fifth with a combined 1-2-3 inning for Venezuela's pitchers. USA's bats still struggling, with just one hit through five innings.


Brad Keller was on in the top of the sixth, sending down Maikel Garcia, Luis Arraez, and Eugenio Suarez on just seven pitches - USA's second 1-2-3 inning.


Jose Butto would come on in relief for Bazardo in the bottom of the sixth for Venezuela, giving up just a two-out single to Bryce Harper before forcing a Judge groundout to end the inning with no damage done.


The USA would be 3-for-35 with just two walks since the fifth inning of the semi-finals game against the Dominican Republic at that point.


Will Vest came on strong for USA in the seventh, striking out Gleyber Torres on four pitches. Ezequiel Tovar got his second hit of the game, but Luis Arraez grounded into a force out, moving Tovar to second with two outs.


But Vest would get out of it unscathed, forcing Perez to pop out to right. 


After a no-hit seventh inning, the USA's slump since the fifth inning against the DR would increase to a brutal 3-for-38 with three singles, three walks, and 13 strikeouts.


Griffin Jax shut it down in the top of the eighth, going 1-2-3 on just eight pitches. USA's clamping down, but they're six outs away from losing the WBC title.


After the Team USA bats went 3-for-40 with four walks, three singles, and 14 strikeouts during their slump, it would be none other than Harper who would finally break it with a monster two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it 2-2.




Venezuela reliever Andres Machado would get out of the inning after striking out Judge, which would be his third of the game.


Starting the top of the ninth inning, Arraez would record a lead-off walk, who would be taken out for pitch-runner Javier Sanoja, who'd steal second with no outs.


And it proved to be worth everything as Suarez would bring him home with an RBI double to left-center field to make it 3-2 with no outs.


Garret Whitlock's night ended with Andres Gimenez flying out. Tyler Rogers came on and closed the door, but it wasn't enough. Venezuela pulled off the upset in the ninth, shocking the world.



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