Venezuela edges US to win historic World Baseball Classic title

The Venezuela team poses with their gold medals and trophy after defeating the United States in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic in Miami. (AP)

MIAMI, March 18 (AP): Eugenio Suárez and his Venezuelan teammates stood on the stage behind second base with shiny medals draped over their proud chests, belting out their national anthem accompanied by tens of thousands of fans who remained in the ballpark a half-hour after the final out.

Back home, people were singing their praises, too.

Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic for the first time Tuesday night, beating the United States 3-2 in the championship game on Suárez’s tiebreaking double in the top of the ninth inning.

Bryce Harper’s two-run homer with two outs in the eighth tied the score for the U.S., but Suárez hit a go-ahead double in the ninth, and Daniel Palencia pitched a perfect bottom half.

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared Wednesday a National Day of Joy and made it a non-working holiday except for essential workers.

“My country needs that championship,” star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. said, wiping tears from his eyes. “I just want to make my people proud. That’s what I did today.”

Maikel Garcia’s third-inning sacrifice fly and Wilyer Abreu’s fifth-inning homer off rookie Nolan McLean built a 2-0 lead before a roaring, pro-Latin America sellout crowd of 36,190 at loanDepot park. Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez and a string of lights-out relievers limited the Americans to two hits through the seventh.

Bobby Witt Jr. walked with two outs in the eighth, and Harper drove the second straight changeup from Andrés Machado over the center-field fence.

Boston’s Garrett Whitlock started the ninth instead of San Diego’s Mason Miller, perhaps baseball’s best reliever, because U.S. manager Mark DeRosa promised the Padres he would use Miller only in a save situation.

Luis Arraez walked, and pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second just ahead of catcher Will Smith’s one-hop throw. Sanoja came home when Suárez doubled to the left-center gap on a full-count changeup. Suárez spread his arms wide and pointed to the sky at second base while teammates streamed from the dugout to greet Sanoja at the plate.

Palencia struck out two to finish a three-hitter for his third save of the WBC, ending the game by getting Roman Anthony to swing under a 99.7 mph fastball.