Team Venezuela Defeats Team USA To Secure First WBC Championship

Team Venezuela defeated Team USA in the World Baseball Classic championship on March 17.

Team Venezuela won the game 3-2. This was the first time that Team Venezuela has won the WBC Championship. Although Team USA has made three straight championship games, they have lost the last two. 

Maikel Garcia got Team Venezuela on the board first with a sacrifice fly to bring home Salvador Perez from third base. Team Venezuela took a 2-0 lead when Wilyer Abreu hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning.

Team USA wasn’t going to go down without a fight, though. Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run with Bobby Witt Jr. on base to tie the game at 2-2. However, Eugenio Suarez hit an RBI double in the top of the ninth to bring home Javier Sanoja to give Team Venezuela a 3-2 lead. Garrett Whitlock gave up the run, which was his first run allowed in the WBC.

Daniel Palencia came in to close the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Although his team, the Chicago Cubs, preferred Palencia not to pitch, they told Team Venezuela they could use him in a save situation. Palencia sent Team USA down in order to secure his third save of the WBC. 

Aaron Judge’s struggles were one of the main talking points for Team USA’s loss. His OPS fell from over 1.000 to under .900 just in the final three games. He went 0-4 with three strikeouts against Team Venezuela. 

All the players who participated in the WBC will return to their respective MLB teams. They will participate in the final games of spring training. Opening Day will be on March 25 when the New York Yankees take on the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco.