The stage is set for an epic finale to a World Baseball Classic that has delivered on drama, excitement, controversy and plenty of fun over the last two weeks. After falling 3-2 to Japan in the final of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, team USA looks to take back the title and team Venezuela is the only thing standing in their way.
Surviving the Semifinals – How the US and Venezuela Became the Last Two Standing
The first semifinal on Sunday night between the United States and Dominican Republic would see arguably the best two lineups ever to face off against each other in the history of the game, and while the final 2-1 score was likely not what anyone was expecting from a collection of truly heavy hitters, the game delivered a game 7 postseason feel in March.
The crowd was charged from the first pitch to the very last and the World Cup soccer style atmosphere we have come to expect from the WBC fans was on full display. And while everyone waited for the fireworks to start in the form of an offensive explosion, they were treated instead to a master class in pitching from starters and relievers on both sides.
Luis Severino took the mound for team Dominican Republic and immediately put team USA on notice slinging 99 mph, an increase of 3 mph from his previous season. On the bump for the United States would be the utterly unflappable Paul Skenes, coming off a phenomenal outing against Mexico in pool play where he posted a dominant 0.00 ERA, 4.0 IP 1H 1BB 7SO.
After three scoreless innings, the Dominican Republic drew first blood taking a 1-0 lead, with a no-doubter off the bat of Junior Caminero after Skenes hung a pitch up in the zone. The electric celebrations ensued and this could have absolutely been a moment where the Dominican Republic momentum train left the station never to return. The US could not afford to wait too long to answer.
In the top of the fourth, team USA found an answer in the form of their young players, with Gunnar Henderson working a 3-2 count before tying the game with a bomb to right-center. His home run not only brought the score even, but lead to Severino being lifted from the game. Two batters later, Roman Anthony would send another solo shot over the fence to give team USA the 2-1 lead, which would ultimately end up being the run that would punch their ticket into the championship game.
Dominicans Go Down on Controversial Strike Call
Of course, the Dominicans would not go quietly into that good night, threatening throughout the game, but most notably in the bottom of the 7th with runners on the corners. Perdomo would steal second with Fernando Tatis, Jr. at the plate putting the go ahead runner in scoring position. US relief pitcher David Bednar handled his business with back-to-back strikeouts, taking out Tatis Jr. and Ketel Marte with a roaring crowd behind him.
Both teams would go down in order in the 8th inning, and the US would fail in their final chance to add to their lead in the 9th, once again going down one, two, three. The Americans would need to rely on flame-throwing superstar closer Mason Miller to seal their victory.
Miller took down Junior Caminero on strikes, hurling 102mph gas in the process, only to walk speedy runner Julio Rodriguez with Oneil Cruz heading to the plate. A wild pitch would gift Rodriguez second base, quickly followed by Oneil grounding out as Rodriguez advanced to third, putting the tying run just 90 feet away with Geraldo Perdomo stepping into the box. With two outs and the hope of an entire nation on his back, Perdomo worked the count full before being rung up on a called strike three that was clearly a ball low in the zone. With ABS not yet in use for the tournament, the call could not be challenged. Game over. The United States would be heading to their third consecutive WBC final.
The crowd seemed to both erupt and hush simultaneously, as half the building elatedly celebrated the United States victory while the other half were clearly in shock over the called strike and the abruptness to the end of the Dominican’s WBC run. And while that will lend an air of controversy to the final result, make no mistake, one run scored against team USA was never going to be enough and the Dominican Republic had several opportunities throughout the game that ended with base runners stranded. Whether a credit to team USA pitching, failure by the Dominican hitters, or more likely a combination of both—they simply did not get the job done.
The Fountain of Youth Fuels Team USA’s Semifinal Victory
When Mark DeRosa was asked about constructing the team USA lineup back in January, he mentioned wanting to have “youthful energy” mixed with the veterans. Now two months later, the addition of that youthful energy certainly seems to have paid off with their two crucial runs coming off the bats of a 24-year-old and 21-year-old. In fact, all three runs scored in the game came at the hands of players under 24 years old, as the Dominican’s only home run was thanks to 22-year-old Junior Caminero, who was explosive all tournament long.
Two young players finding timely hitting, some spectacular defensive plays, rock solid starting pitching, and clutch performances from five relief pitchers would see the United States through to outlasting an offensive juggernaut on the road to the final.
Venezuela Pushes Past Italy in Late Innings Rally Sending Them to Their First WBC Final
On Monday night, As Ronald Acuna Jr. raced to first base, his teammates were on the rail waiting. Beating out the throw, screaming and high stepping as he continued down the first base line, his teammates came tumbling out of the dugout to celebrate his game-tying RBI single. The crowd, packed with Venezuela fans, soared to new heights, rocking Loan Depot Park. Venezuela had finally gotten on the board.
Maikel Garcia quickly followed with an RBI single, giving Venezuela the lead, with Luis Arraez adding another run for insurance with a double. Their two-out rally had just sent them on their way to a 4-2 comeback victory.
Italy had been holding their own for most of the game, taking a 2-1 lead into the 7th, Venezuela’s only run coming off a solo shot in the top of the 4th by Eugenio Suarez who took one of Aaron Nola’s famous knuckle curves over the left field wall. Nola would close out the inning, but his evening was finished heading into the 5th, and Michael Lorenzen would look to piggyback, with Italy going all-in on their starting pitchers in the hopes of living today to fight tomorrow, even if that meant a potential bullpen game in the final.
And while Lorenzen fought valiantly through the next two innings, the 7th inning turned the tide. Gleyber Torres worked a lead off walk and was then replaced by pinch runner Andres Gimenez. Lorenzen was able to strike out the hero of Venezuela’s quarterfinal game, Wilyer Abreu, quickly followed by William Contreras, but a single to center by 22-year old Jackson Chourio sent the speedy Gimenez from first to third, with Ronald Acuna Jr. coming to the plate. The rest is history.
This proud baseball nation, just days after qualifying for the Olympics by taking out Japan and over two months after the United States captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores in a military strike, would continue their historic run against a familiar foe—the United States of America.
Meanwhile, Italy’s Cinderella story as the darlings of this WBC head home after captivating fans with their talent, chemistry, and of course, their home run celebrations centered around caffeine and kisses.
The Final Showdown: What to Expect from USA v. Venezuela
Will it be the Favorite or the Forgotten?
After Japan’s shocking upset by Venezuela in the quarterfinals, the United States is arguably the favorite, but they’ll need to be careful not to take Venezuela lightly as they did with Italy during pool play—a miscalculation that almost ended their run then and there, saved only by the grace of another Italian victory the next night against Mexico giving the US the standings edge they needed to advance.
Team Venezuela has been the team that the others may have overlooked at their own peril. After quietly going 3-1 in pool play, losing only to powerhouse Dominican Republic, they shocked the world by taking out Japan and World Series MVP pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the quarterfinals, marking the first time Japan has not advanced to the semifinals since the WBC tournament began 20 years ago. While Venezuela has not had nearly as much fanfare as the other big guns in the tournament, the talent on their roster cannot be ignored as they prepare to play in their first ever WBC final.
As both teams get set for the finals, the United States will come in as the favorite, but will need to continue their strong defensive efforts and hope to see more out of the superstars that have yet to truly shine or make their presence felt in the tournament. While the likes of Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, and Cal Raleigh have failed to truly light up the stage, the team has benefited from the youth movement. In addition to being the heroes of the semifinal round, Roman Anthony leads the team in RBIs with seven and Gunnar Henderson has made his mark batting .429 with a 1.358 OPS.
While star slugger Kyle Schwarber leads team USA in hits with eight, and is batting a solid .364 with a 1.000 OPS, team USA will undoubtedly hope to see more power from the power hitter who has only managed one dinger the entire tournament.
On the mound team USA will look to continue to take advantage of their superior rotation. Nolan McLean will take the starting pitching honors for team USA. Despite his rocky first start against Italy in pool play, in which he gave up three earned runs, including two homers, DeRosa trusts the young talent can get it done in the biggest moment.
Taking the rock for Venezuela will be Eduardo Rodriguez, nicknamed E-Rod, a veteran MLB pitcher who has struggled over the last two seasons, but will hope he can show up with a vintage performance when his country needs him the most.
After Venezuela’s bullpen dominated Italy in the latter half of the semifinal game, it may come down to who has the best relief arms left for either team in this final clash. With strict pitcher usage limitations not just in the WBC, but also for certain players based on their professional club restrictions, there have already been reports about players that may not be available, including conflicting reports about the availability of star team USA closer Mason Miller, whose final fate in the contest may be decided not by his country, but instead by his club—the San Diego Padres.
This World Baseball Classic final has all the makings to become an instant classic. A rematch from the 2023 quarterfinals, that saw the United States break Venezuela’s heart 9-7 thanks to an 8th inning grand slam by short stop Trea Turner, this game also comes at a time when relations between the two nations are strained. With Miami hosting the largest concentration of Venezuelan immigrants in the country, this passionate fanbase will no doubt turn out in droves in the hopes of spurring their team to world baseball glory.
Will the United States and its dream team lineup withstand, or will a team that has been overshadowed and underestimated since the tournament began find a way to take down Goliath? The world will be tuning in to FOX at 8 p.m. ET tonight to find out.
