Alden GonzalezMar 18, 2026, 02:38 AM ETCloseESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Venezuela stuns Team USA to win World Baseball Classic (0:38)Daniel Palencia strikes out Roman Anthony as Venezuela defeats Team USA 3-2 to win the World Baseball Classic. (0:38)
MIAMI — Venezuela’s greatest baseball players were in full jubilation, waving flags, distributing hugs and shedding tears while reveling in one of the biggest athletic achievements in the nation’s history — and Team USA couldn’t help but watch.
“For some reason, this WBC has become a tidal wave of emotion for a lot of guys,” Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said. “You get them in the room representing their country, coming together for 2½ weeks, the buy-in, it’s infectious in there.”
It began with Eduardo Rodríguez, the veteran left-hander who worked the corners with his five-pitch mix while recording 13 outs and holding the U.S. to one hit. Five relievers followed him out of the bullpen, the last of whom was Chicago Cubs closer Daniel Palencia, who was appearing in his second straight game and shut things down in the ninth once more. Kyle Schwarber struck out, Gunnar Henderson popped out and Roman Anthony swung through a 99.7 mph fastball to end it.
“They made their pitches,” said Judge, Team USA’s captain. “They were working the corners on both sides, and then, when we didn’t get a pitch, we either popped it up or hit it into the ground. Stuff like that can’t happen. When you get a pitch to hit, you got to be able to drive it. If you get one pitch in the game, you got to do something with it. They just went out there and executed their game plan, and we couldn’t get anything going offensively.”
It took time for the U.S. to become fully invested in this tournament, which just concluded its sixth installment. It always seemed to mean more in baseball-loving countries such as the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan and Korea. Winning it all in 2017 helped, but losing in 2023 — when Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout, ending another championship game by a 3-2 score — drove American interest to a different place.
Judge signed up first, setting the tone among the position players. Reigning Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes committed next, paving the way for the U.S. to assemble by far the best rotation in this tournament’s history. By the time the WBC began, the U.S. had clearly built a deep pitching staff, a loaded lineup and a balanced roster. It had the desire to avenge a prior loss. But once again, the Americans came up just short.
Hours after it was over, Harper once again expressed his desire to play in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, if major leaguers are allowed to participate.
For now, though, the American players will all go back to their respective spring training camps and prepare to start Major League Baseball’s regular season in a little more than a week.
As Venezuela celebrated the 3-2 victory that made them champions of the World Baseball Classic for the first time on Tuesday night, many of the stars that lined the United States’ roster — men who fell in love with the tournament three years ago and made it their mission to avenge a second-place finish — looked on from the dugout railing and said nothing. For 16 days, they formed one of the most talented rosters ever assembled and basked in the uniqueness of coming together. Then the end crashed down on them.
Venezuela stuns Team USA to win World Baseball Classic (0:38)Daniel Palencia strikes out Roman Anthony as Venezuela defeats Team USA 3-2 to win the World Baseball Classic. (0:38)
Daniel Palencia strikes out Roman Anthony as Venezuela defeats Team USA 3-2 to win the World Baseball Classic. (0:38)
Alden GonzalezMar 18, 2026, 02:38 AM ETCloseESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Team USA’s offense lagged even more so in the finale.
CloseESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.Follow on X
“I hope so,” he said. “I really do. I really hope so.”