Venezuela advances to World Baseball Classic final against United States

Venezuela Advances to World Baseball Classic Championship Game

Venezuela has secured a spot in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic, defeating Italy 4-2 on Monday in Miami. The win marked Venezuela’s first appearance in the final round of the tournament.

In the seventh inning, Maikel Garcia hit a tie-breaking single, scoring two runs and securing the victory for Venezuela. The team had previously tied the game with four consecutive two-out hits in the same inning.

Venezuela will face the United States on Tuesday night in Miami, seeking its first championship title. The US has also advanced to the final round, having defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 on Sunday.

Italy, which made a surprise run to the semifinals, lost its first game of the tournament. The team had previously gone 4-0 in pool play and beat Puerto Rico 8-6 in a quarterfinal at Houston on Saturday.

Venezuela’s starting pitcher Keider Montero gave up two runs in 1 1/3 innings, while Italy’s starter Aaron Nola allowed one run in four innings. The teams’ pitchers combined for a total of eight outs in the final inning.

The championship game will determine Venezuela’s first World Baseball Classic title and the US’s second crown. Both teams had successful pool play performances, going 3-1 each before advancing to the knockout rounds.

Source: Al Jazeera