MIAMI — They won. They cried. They pray. They sing. They cried some more.
Venezuela’s 3-2 victory over the United States in the WBC final on Tuesday was a thrilling event for the players, fans and the entire beleaguered nation of 33 million. Throughout the tournament, there was joyous noise from those on the diamond and in the stands, providing a fitting soundtrack to a tournament that exists just for fun. There were people beating drums in the lounge, people chanting slogans in the seats, people dancing in the streets, everything was very loud and very proud.
advertise
The symphony reached its climax at 10:36 pm local time with the performance of veteran Eugenio Suárez. With the game tied at two and a runner on second base, Suarez caught an out-of-position Garrett Whitlock changeup. The ball flew gracefully into the left-center gap and found a clean patch of grass. Runner Javier Sanoja jogged home from second into the arms of waiting teammates, who were already pouring out of the dugout.
Suarez raised his arms above his head to cheers from his compatriots after finishing second. Then, and only then, did the hero of the night and the nation turn its attention to the sky and acknowledge his Creator. For three seconds, as the world roared around him, Suarez remained standing on second base, shouting thanks to heaven.
He has a lot to be grateful for.
“I’m very grateful,” Suarez said after the game. “I must say thank you [to] All the fans who come here to support our team and our country. It’s too noisy for us. The support we have received has been amazing. “
advertise
Venezuela enters the tournament as the most decorated and successful baseball nation to have never won the World Baseball Classic. In fact, the South American country didn’t even reach the finals in the competition’s previous five editions. Year after year, heartbreak and disappointment are its fate, while expectations are never fulfilled. Venezuela’s most recent exit, in 2023, was the cruelest: a crushing defeat to the United States in the quarterfinals. In that game, Venezuela trailed by just six frames to achieve its biggest victory in history. Instead, Trae Turner hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to immediately turn things around.
[Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season]
For Venezuelan players, the sting of this memory weighs heavier than any geopolitical narrative. On Tuesday, they exacted a piece of sporting revenge, plain and simple. The same appears to be true for many Venezuelans in the building. These fans don’t need a government confrontation or presidential provocation to care about the World Baseball Classic more than American fans.
By the numbers, Tuesday’s crowd was nearly even, with a significantly higher pro-U.S., anti-Venezuela crowd than the semifinal crowd. But in terms of decibels, the two sides aren’t that far apart.
advertise
“The noise in the World Classics is unique,” Suarez said. “It was very, very loud. Latin fans really feel and live in support of their team. That’s how they live, and that’s extra motivation for us. The Venezuelan fans showed yesterday how passionate the fans are about baseball.”
Venezuela, the visiting team, gave the fans something to cheer about early in the game, which certainly helped when U.S. starter Nolan McLean scored the game’s first possession on a fly ball in the third inning. Two innings later, Venezuela doubled its lead on a solo shot by outfielder Willier Abreu.
From that point on, that slim advantage held up thanks to an embarrassingly lackluster U.S. offense and was dominated by a locked-down Venezuelan pitching staff. In this WBC competition, Venezuela fell behind many times. That was not the case in the final, as starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who started only because Pablo Lopez withdrew from the WBC due to injury and Jesus Luzardo refused to participate, put in 4 1/2 brilliant innings.
advertise
[Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem: Make your picks for $50K in total prizes]
The veteran southpaw is surprisingly talented, holding back MVPs and All-Stars with a cocktail of 93-mph heaters and 89-mph cutters. Before Rodriguez’s gem on Tuesday, the Venezuelan starter had allowed 12 runs in 15 2/3 innings of WBC play. The ERA was 6.89, the fourth-worst mark in the tournament, ahead of only Israel, the Czech Republic and Brazil. But with timely hitting and a dynamite bullpen, Venezuela was generally able to overcome the early deficit.
Against the United States, it’s not even necessary. Venezuela held a slim 2-0 lead for much of the night, and the United States was kept at bay by a barrage of relievers.
That disappeared immediately in the eighth inning when Bobby Witt Jr. walked Bryce Harper to load the bases on a two-out tying run. The Phillies star sent out the second pitch he saw, a changeup up the middle from Andres Machado that sailed over the center fence to tie the game. It was an iconic moment for the future Hall of Famer and will be the highlight of the tournament if Team USA finds a way to win. Instead, it became a whimsical footnote due to Suarez’s heroics.
advertise
Suarez is one of football’s most beloved figures, a kind and passionate soul who thrives on relationships. Suarez is the kind of guy who never wakes up on the other side of the bed, flashing a warm smile and a friendly hello to the rain clouds. It’s hard to imagine him refusing to shake hands with his MLB teammates during an international game.
In this sense, he is the perfect embodiment of what makes this Venezuelan team unique. Relaxed and fearless. Relaxed and confident. Enthusiastic with a smile. That’s how they play against the United States on Tuesday, and that’s how they play in all tournaments.
advertise
During the final at-bat of the game, Suarez waited on the dugout railing, holding a Venezuelan flag in his right hand. When the last out was struck out – a strikeout from closer Daniel Palencia – Suarez jumped onto the diamond and fell to his knees. With his country’s colors draped over his shoulders, he looked again toward the roofs of the loan warehouses, and to the higher powers that might lie beyond them.
Amid the chaos around him, tears, too many tears. There were screams, hugs, jumping, and all the other ecstasy that comes with victory, but the emotion was too great not to include crying. It was such a spectacle, those red, tearful eyes.
After winning the gold medal, the entire Venezuelan team gathered on a podium in the shape of World Baseball’s classic logo. The country’s national anthem, “Gloria al Bravo Pueblo (Glory to the Brave People),” blared from the stadium speakers. The players shouted, many still crying.
advertise
It looks like Suarez and captain Salvador Perez are working hard to make sure their voices are heard in Venezuela. Fans in the stands joined in. Of course, fans watching the game at home also joined in. It was an exciting performance and well worth the moment.
Venezuela, a champion country, people can’t help but sing along.
