Italy's WBC run ends as Venezuela rallies for 4-2 semifinal win

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Crew USA has its opponent for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) last on Tuesday evening.

Venezuela ended Italy’s magical WBC run on Monday evening, coming from behind to defeat them, 4-2 at loanDepot park, incomes a spot within the last in opposition to the USA.

Italy was the shock crew of the event, taking down the U.S. in pool play earlier than defeating Mexico to complete an ideal 4-0 in Pool B.

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Eugenio Suárez of Crew Venezuela celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo residence run in opposition to Crew Italy within the fourth inning at loanDepot park on March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Photographs)

However that win over Mexico additionally stored Crew USA alive within the event, permitting them to advance to the quarterfinals, the place they defeated Canada earlier than incomes an exciting 2-1 semifinal victory over the Dominican Republic on Sunday evening to punch their ticket again to the ultimate.

Whereas it felt solely proper for the U.S. and Italy to fulfill as soon as extra to find out who would win all of it earlier than the beginning of the 2026 MLB season, Venezuela had different issues in thoughts through the backside of the seventh inning.

Down 2-1 within the contest, Venezuela discovered themselves threatening with a possible two-out rally after Jackson Chourio, the Milwaukee Brewers’ rising star, singled to heart discipline, permitting Andres Gimenez to advance to 3rd base.

That’s when Ronald Acuña Jr., the face of Venezuelan baseball, reached first on an infield single that allowed Gimenez to attain, tying the sport at two apiece. However the rally wasn’t over simply but.

The Venezuelans caught hearth after Acuña’s single, as Maikel Garcia singled to left discipline, scoring Chourio, and Luis Arraez introduced residence Acuña. With two outs, Venezuela seized all of the momentum with a three-run seventh inning that made it 4-2.

Italy had been clinging to the lead because the backside of the second inning, once they made probably the most of a bases-loaded scenario. J.J. D’Orazio walked residence a run, whereas Dante Nori grounded right into a fielder’s selection that scored one other to provide Italy a 2-0 lead.

Slugger Eugenio Suarez obtained Venezuela on the board within the high of the fourth inning with a solo residence run to left-center discipline, chopping the deficit to at least one. However they weren’t in a position to string collectively extra offense till that seventh inning.

From there, Italy might by no means get a rally began, as Daniel Palencia finally shut the door within the ninth inning, putting out the ultimate two Italian hitters.

As Venezuela celebrated, Italy hung their heads, however their story this month has been nothing wanting unimaginable. Their espresso machine within the dugout — which captain Vinnie Pasquantino of the Kansas Metropolis Royals helped flip into a house run celebration — went viral as they continued to have success. The roster featured established MLB stars, high prospects and gamers with Italian heritage, incomes reward from massive leaguers all through the previous two weeks.

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However it’s Venezuela, ripe with high MLB expertise, able to tackle Crew USA and starter Nolan McLean, who Italy touched up of their pool play recreation, on Tuesday evening to find out who holds the rights to name themselves the very best baseball crew on the earth for at the least the subsequent three years.