Eugenio Suárez, Venezuela's third baseman for MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks, hit an RBI double in the ninth inning to secure a 3-2 victory over the United States in the 2026 World Baseball Classic final on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida, according to a post-game interview with FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

The win marked Venezuela's first WBC title. Suárez, a 34-year-old veteran who has represented Venezuela in the 2013, 2017 and 2023 tournaments,^[1] pointed to the sky after the hit off U.S. pitcher Garrett Whitlock, following Javier Sanoja's steal of second base.

Wilyer Abreu hit a solo home run for Venezuela earlier in the game. Bryce Harper tied the score with a home run off Andrés Machado in the bottom of the eighth, but Venezuela held on for the championship.

The final was played at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins and site of the 2026 WBC championship round from March 17-21.^[2] The U.S. team entered with a strong lineup including Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The night before, on March 16, Suárez hit a solo home run in Venezuela's win over Italy, telling reporters the job was not done with one more game remaining before players returned to their MLB clubs.

"I mean, what can I say about this? It’s amazing. God is good, all the glory is for the Lord Jesus. He was with us the whole time," Suárez told Rosenthal when asked about his emotions.^[4]

"We have to glorify, put his name in front of everything. Nobody believed in Venezuela, but now we won the championship today. This is a celebration for all of Venezuela."

Suárez described his teammates as family: "The union – we are together the whole time. We’re not just teammates, we’re all family. This team is awesome... That’s why we play with passion, with love because we feel that on our jersey. We feel our country."

He added of the moment on second base: "I just prayed at the time. I pointed to my family out there – they were happy for me. God is good, man. God is good."^[4]

Sources

1. MLB.com
   Player profile: Eugenio Suárez
   Accessed October 2024
   https://www.mlb.com/player/eugenio-suarez-533096
2. MLB.com
   2026 World Baseball Classic venues announced
   August 12, 2024
   https://www.mlb.com/news/2026-world-baseball-classic-venues-announced
3. Baseball-Reference.com
   Eugenio Suárez player statistics
   Accessed October 2024
   https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suareeu01.shtml
4. FOX Sports
   World Baseball Classic coverage
   Accessed October 2024
   https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/world-baseball-classic