Venezuela defeats U.S. 3-2 for first World Baseball Classic title
Venezuela defeats U.S. 3-2 for first World Baseball Classic title
CBSNews Wed, March 18, 2026 at 3:05 AM UTC
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Venezuela stunned the United States in the World Baseball Classic final, beating the Americans 3-2 for the country's first WBC title.
Maikel Garcia got Venezuela on the board with a sacrifice fly that scored Salvador Perez in the top of the 3rd. Then Wilyer Abreu added another run with a solo shot in the 5th.
The U.S. bats, meanwhile, had been silenced until the bottom of the 8th, when Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper hit a game-tying 2-run home run.
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But a leadoff walk in the top of the 9th allowed Eugenio Suárez to knock in what would prove to be the winning run, smacking a double to left center field and scoring pinch runner Javier Sonoja.
Wilyer Abreu #16 of Team Venezuela celebrates with his teammates after hitting a home run in the top of the fifth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game. / Credit: Scott Audette/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images (Scott Audette/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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