Miami Dancing: Venezuela Rallies Past Italy to Reach First WBC Final

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The “party in the dugout” has officially moved to the championship stage. On Monday night, Venezuela authored yet another dramatic comeback, scoring three runs in the seventh inning to defeat Italy 4–2 at LoanDepot Park in Miami. The victory sends Venezuela to its first-ever World Baseball Classic final, where it will meet the United States for the title.

The loss ends Italy’s historic “Cinderella” run, which saw the Azzurri reach the semifinals for the first time after a stunning 5–0 start to the tournament.

Espresso Effect: Italy’s Early Strike

For much of the night, it appeared Italy’s magic would hold. After shocking the baseball world with an undefeated pool play run, the Italians took an early lead by capitalizing on the nerves of Venezuelan starter Keider Montero.

Walking it In: In the second inning, Montero struggled with his command, issuing three consecutive walks. The third, to catcher J.J. D’Orazio, forced in the game’s opening run.
The Insurance: Moments later, Dante Nori grounded into a forceout that allowed Jac Caglianone to cross the plate, extending Italy’s lead to 2–0.
Nola’s Gem: Philadelphia Phillies star Aaron Nola was brilliant for Italy, allowing just one hit through his first three innings and maintaining the lead against a potent Venezuelan lineup.

The Venezuelan Response

Venezuela refused to panic, leaning on the veteran leadership that helped them dethrone Japan just 48 hours earlier.

Suárez Sparks the Flame: In the top of the fourth, designated hitter Eugenio Suárez crushed a solo home run off a low curveball from Nola, trimming the deficit to 2–1 and shifting the energy in the stadium.
The Great Escape: The game’s turning point came in the bottom of the sixth. Italy loaded the bases with one out, threatening to break the game open. Venezuela called upon reliever Angel Zerpa, who froze Sam Antonacci with a 95-mph sinker on the outside corner to escape the jam unscathed.

The Seventh-Inning Surge

Trailing 2–1 in the seventh, Venezuela’s All-Star core finally broke through against reliever Michael Lorenzen.

The Equalizer: With two outs and pinch-runner Andrés Giménez at third, Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a sharp grounder to the shortstop hole. Acuña turned on the jets, beating the throw to first as Giménez scored the tying run.
The Go-Ahead: On the very next at-bat, Maikel Garcia lined a 2-0 fastball into left field, driving in Jackson Chourio to give Venezuela their first lead of the night at 3–2.
The Insurance: Luis Arraez followed with a line-drive single to center, plating Acuña and extending the lead to 4–2.

The Grand Finale

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will conclude tonight, with a heavyweight rematch between Venezuela and Team USA.

Both teams enter the final with identical 5–1 records. For Venezuela, it is a chance at redemption following their 2023 quarterfinal loss to the Americans. For the U.S., it is an opportunity to defend their home soil and capture back-to-back titles. Venezuela is expected to start Eduardo Rodríguez on the mound, while the U.S. will counter with breakout star Nolan McLean.