Venezuela defeats Team USA to win World Baseball Classic - ESPN

MIAMI — With one swing the nervous energy coursing through LoanDepot Park on Tuesday night flipped to pandemonium.

Bryce Harper had upended the World Baseball Classic final's momentum for Team USA with one swat in the eighth inning, tying Venezuela when the Americans were flat all night long. The pro-Venezuela crowd went quiet. That didn't last long.

After Luis Arráez drew a walk to lead off the ninth inning, and after pinch runner Javier Sanoja barely stole second base, Eugenio Suárez swatted the most important hit of his career, a go-ahead double that proved the difference in Venezuela's 3-2 victory.

Daniel Palencia then sealed Venezuela's first WBC championship by retiring the American side in order, closing the door with a 99.7 mph fastball to strike out Roman Anthony and ignite an emotional celebration as a stunned Team USA, three years after losing 3-2 to Japan in the WBC final, watched.

The teams entered Tuesday with identical 5-1 tournament records. Venezuela dropped its final Pool D game against the mighty Dominican Republic before consecutive comeback wins over Japan, the defending champion, and Italy, the tournament's Cinderella entrant. The U.S. lost to Italy in Pool B play before narrowly defeating Canada and the Dominican Republic to advance to the championship game for the third straight WBC.

The finalists walked onto the field in a single file from each outfield corner to line up along each baseline during an elaborate pregame ceremony that used projection mapping on the outfield turf to recap the tournament, from pool play through the semifinals. The United States, with captain Aaron Judge in front carrying the American flag, strolled in from left field as the home team after winning a coin flip for the