Venezuela is off to the World Baseball Classic final for the first time, ending Italy’s Cinderella run with a 4-2 win in the second WBC semifinal Monday at LoanDepot Park.
TICKET PUNCHED 🎟️
TEAM VENEZUELA IS HEADING TO THE #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! pic.twitter.com/Ulmy4XqqVK
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 17, 2026
The Venezuelans trailed early but mounted a three-run comeback in the seventh inning, led by RBI hits from Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez, to pull ahead for good.
Venezuela will face Team USA in the championship game Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Veteran left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will start for the Venezuelans against Team USA youngster Nolan McLean.
“A lot of dancing,” Garcia said of the postgame celebration. “I’ve never been to the championship of the WBC before, and we get there and we’re happy. We’re excited to play tomorrow against the United States. We have to come tomorrow and play the same way we played against Japan, against Italy, and we have to show the world who Venezuela is.”
Italy, playing in its first-ever WBC semifinal, got a brilliant start from Philadelphia Phillies star Aaron Nola, who allowed one run over four innings of work. The Azzurri struck first on offense, taking a 2-0 lead in the third on a J.J. D’Orazio bases-loaded walk and a Dante Nori RBI force out.
But Venezuela eventually chipped away. Eugenio Suárez launched a homer off Nola in the fourth to cut the deficit in half, setting the stage for the big seventh inning. Ronald Acuña Jr. tied the game with an RBI single off Michael Lorenzen – who had been scheduled to start the game, but instead followed Nola out of the bullpen – and Garcia followed with the go-ahead hit.
MAIKEL GARCIA FOR THE LEAD!
TEAM VENEZUELA IS HYPE 🇻🇪 pic.twitter.com/IaHDzNwr3a
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 17, 2026
Venezuelan starter Keider Montero struggled with his command in the second, and was pulled after walking D’Orazio. But the bullpen picked him up, as six Venezuela relievers combined to throw 7 2/3 shutout innings and silence the Italian bats. Daniel Palencia struck out two in a perfect ninth to record the save.
Despite being one of the world’s premier baseball nations – only the U.S. and Dominican Republic have produced more major-leaguers – Venezuela hasn’t achieved much international success. The South American nation’s previous best finish at the WBC was fourth place in 2009, and had never reached the Olympics until qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles games last week. Venezuela’s last major international baseball win was a gold medal at the 1959 Pan-Am Games.
Awaiting them Tuesday is a U.S. team that’s in its third straight WBC final, and is looking to avenge 2023’s final loss to Japan. The Americans own a 3-2 advantage all-time against Venezuela in the WBC.
The final will also be a rematch of an epic quarterfinal game between Venezuela and the U.S. in Miami three years ago. In that game, the Americans came back to beat Venezuela 9-7 on Trea Turner’s eighth-inning grand slam.
“Baseball gives you this kind of opportunities,” Acuña said of facing the U.S. “Life is so ironic. I’m very happy to play the United States again. They are all superstars, but we have a great team as well. We are going to play our game. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
Italy, meanwhile, saw its remarkable run end in the semifinals, a result that’s easily the best in the country’s baseball history. The Italians were just the second European nation to reach a WBC semifinal (The Netherlands did it twice). Francisco Cervelli’s team came into the semis undefeated, but managed just five hits against Venezuela, and only three after the second inning.
“We are no longer the Cinderella, and this is an important – in three years they are going to take us seriously,” Cervelli said. “We have a group of young players that are going to participate in the next Classic.
“What they experienced today, they are going to take it away from the rest of their lives, a spectacular noise at the stadium, and my team was spectacular, fantastic, a group of friends, guys that support each other. I wish I could have that kind of team for 162 games.”
