Team USA lose World Baseball Classic closing to Venezuela as Aaron Judge falls flat once more and Donald Trump reacts
Team USA has lost the final of the World Baseball Classic to Venezuela on a catastrophic night for some of the all-time greats of the game in Miami.
It was a deserved 3-2 victory for Venezuela, who had thousands of fans packed into the ballpark to witness a victory that runs deeper than baseball.
Moments after their win, President Trump repeated his claims to make Venezuela America’s 51st state, posting ‘STATEHOOD!!!’ on Truth Social.
But as impressed at Trump seems to be with the Venezuela team, he’d have recoiled at such a toothless US attack on Tuesday night on a night of disaster. Their brutally powerful lineup had fallen deathly silent, Aaron Judge again wilting on the big stage and striking out three times.
Judge symbolized a wider, bigger problem for the USA lineup – through seven innings, they had only managed two hits.
But then up stepped Bryce Harper, with a home run that deserved to be remembered for so much more.
Venezuela’s baseball team goes wild on the field after beating USA 3-2 in the WBC final
Aaron Judge again fell silent on the biggest stage, striking out three times for USA
Closing pitcher Daniel Palencia leaps for joy after striking out Roman Anthony to seal victory
It was a swing of beauty from the Philadelphia Phillies star, a missile over the center field wall off Andres Machado to tie the game 2-2 in the eighth.
From there, such a huge momentum shift made it feel like there would only be one winner. But incredibly, there was another twist and it was in Venezuela’s favor.
Eugenio Suarez sent Garrett Whitlock deep into left field after Javier Sanoja was walked and had then stolen second. Sanoja rounded third and made it home for a 3-2 lead and there was an explosion in the Venezuela dugout.
Moments later, as Roman Anthony struck out, those celebrations reignited once again, this time for good. There were tears of joy throughout the Venezuela lineup.
‘It means everything, this is for our country, every one of them. We are going to enjoy this now,’ starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez said through his tears on the field after the game.
Indeed for Venezuela, this is a victory that means so much after recent turmoil faced by the country with Donald Trump using military force to remove President Nicolas Maduro in early January.
On Monday night, when Venezuela beat Italy to reach the final, Trump took to social media to claim credit for their performances and said they should become America’s 51st state.
He echoed those claims moments after Venezuela downed America, posting on Truth Social: ‘STATEHOOD!!! President DJT’
Just 24 hours earlier, Trump wrote: ‘Wow! Venezuela defeated Italy tonight, 4-2, in the WBC (Baseball!) Semifinal. They are looking really great. Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD 51 ANYONE?’
Venezuela entered the tournament as fourth-favorite but were deserving champions by the end of Tuesday night.
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