Home WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC WBC: Venezuela Edges Italy 4-2 in WBC Thriller

WBC: Venezuela Edges Italy 4-2 in WBC Thriller

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WBC: Venezuela Edges Italy 4-2 in WBC Thriller
Italy's lead fails to hold, Venezuela takes 4-2 win

Venezuela defeats Italy 4-2 in a thrilling World Baseball Classic matchup. Eugenio Suarez's solo homer isn't enough for Italy as Venezuela's bats come alive in the late innings.


Venezuela's path to the final included upsets against Japan and Italy, showcasing their strength...


Venezuela's made history. They defeated Italy 4-2, securing their spot in the World Baseball Classic championship game for the first time ever. The turning point was a thrilling seventh-inning rally, where they scored three runs with two outs, thanks to clutch hits from Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia, and Luis Arraez.


The Venezuelan bullpen was on fire, tossing 7.2 shutout innings with just three hits and one walk, while striking out eight. Starting pitcher Keider Montero gave up two runs in 1.1 innings, but the team's relief pitchers held strong.


Venezuela will face the United States in the championship game on Tuesday night, aiming for their first WBC title. 


Venezuela came out firing, with six players getting at least one hit each, totaling eight for the game. Italy, on the other hand, managed just five hits, with Zach Dezenzo contributing two.


Venezuela's upset streak continues! They took down reigning champs Team Japan and now they've ended Italy's Cinderella run. 


The 2026 World Baseball Classic championship is happening today, March 17th, at 8 p.m. ET, where Venezuela takes on the United States at LoanDepot Park in Miami. The US team advanced to their third straight WBC title game after defeating the Dominican Republic 2-1, while Venezuela secured their spot with a thrilling 4-2 win over Italy.


Venezuela's path to the final included upsets against Japan and Italy, showcasing their strength. The US team, led by Nolan McLean, will face Venezuela's Eduardo Rodriguez in the championship game.


Aaron Nola's Strong Start for Italy

Italy starting pitcher Aaron Nola had a solid start, getting out of the top of the fifth inning on just eight pitches. He forced MLB superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. to line out, but gave up a bunt single to Maikel Garcia, allowing the first base runner of the game.


The momentum shifted when Luis Arraez lined out to centerfielder Jakob Marsee, who made a strong throw to first base, doubling up Garcia to end the inning.


Montero shut down Italy's batters 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, but Venezuela's offense struggled in the top of the second, with four batters going down and only a Gleyber Torres single to show for it.


Italy got on the scoreboard first in the bottom half of the inning. Vinnie Pasquantino started with a groundout, but then Zach Dezenzo got a single. Keider Montero walked Jac Caglianone and Andrew Fischer, loading the bases with one out. 


Following a mound visit, Montero would walk J.J. D'Orazio to bring home Dezenzo from third to make it 1-0. 


Ricardo Sanchez would replace Montero on the mound and immediately trade an out for a run after Dante Nori hit a grounder for a force out, leaving runs at second and third with two away, making it 2-0. 


Nori stole a base, putting runners at second and third, but Sanchez got Sam Antonacci to ground out, ending the second inning and limiting the damage.


The game was tight, with both teams pitching well – in the third, it was almost a 1-2-3 inning for both teams, except for a Pasquantino walk for Italy. Venezuela finally got on the board in the top of the fourth. 


Eugenio Suarez hit a solo home run, his second of the World Baseball Classic, to deep left field, cutting Italy's lead in half to 2-1 by the end of the fourth inning.


The bats went quiet again, with neither team getting a hit in the fifth inning. Italy's Michael Lorenzen, the starting pitcher in the USA upset game, was on fire – after walking William Contreras in the top of the fifth, he retired six straight batters, including a 1-2-3 sixth inning on just eight pitches.


Angel Zerpa came in to pitch, loading the bases, but he got out of the jam, striking out Sam Antonacci to keep Italy's lead at 2-1.


Lorenzen's tough streak continued – he walked Torres, putting the tying run on first with no outs in the seventh. He struck out Abreu and Contreras, but Jackson Chourio pulled off a perfect hit-and-run, advancing Torres to third and putting runners on the corners with two away. 


Acuna stepped up, 0-for-3 on the night, and hit a hard grounder to Antonacci at short, bringing in the run on an infield single – game tied 2-2.


The hits kept coming... 




With runners on first and second, Garcia, the first base runner of the game, would bring home Chourio from second and advance Acuna over to third with an RBI single, putting Venezuela up 3-2. 


It would be Venezuela's first lead of the game and it took seven innings to finally get there. 


Then Venezuela's star continued to show why he could eventually go on to be the team's MVP of the tournament as Luis Arraez brought in Acuna from third on a single to make it 4-2. 


Lorenzen's night would officially come to an end after that, going 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts.




Kyle Nicolas would come into the game for Lorenzen and immediately get Suarez on a flyout to center. 


Eduard Bazardo came in for Zerpa and shut down Italy's batters 1-2-3 in the seventh.


Nicolas mirrored that in the eighth, striking out Andres Gimenez and Wilyer Abreu after a Tovar flyout, keeping it 4-2 Venezuela. 


Andres Machado came in hot, pitching a 1-2-3 eighth, nine pitches, three strikes – Italy's offense couldn't touch him.




Venezuela sealed the win! Daniel Palencia closed it out, getting Rocchio to pop out, Nori with a K, and Antonacci down swinging – final score: Venezuela 4, Italy 2.



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