Eugenio Suárez hit a game-winning RBI double in the ninth inning to lead Venezuela to a victory over the United States in the World Baseball Classic final at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida.
In a post-game interview with FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Suárez shared his emotions following the win. "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 said.
"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," he added. Suárez pointed to the sky after the hit and later explained, "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."
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 – we are family here. That’s why we play with passion, with love because we feel that on our jersey. We feel our country on the front of us."
The victory marked Venezuela's first World Baseball Classic title.[3] The 2026 edition of the tournament, organized by Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), ran from March 6 to 18, with semifinals and the final hosted at loanDepot park.[2]
Suárez, a 34-year-old third baseman from Venezuela, plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball. He signed a three-year contract with the club in November 2024.[1][5] He previously represented Venezuela in the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics.[3]
Venezuela and the United States last met in the 2023 World Baseball Classic pool stage, a 9-7 U.S. win.[3]
Sources
- MLB.com, Eugenio Suárez Stats, Fantasy & News, accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/player/eugenio-suarez-608031
- WBSC, WBSC announces World Baseball Classic 2026 dates & venues, 13 February 2024, https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/wbsc-announces-world-baseball-classic-2026-dates-and-venues
- Wikipedia, World Baseball Classic, accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic
- MLB.com/Diamondbacks, D-backs sign 3B Eugenio Suárez, 4 November 2024, https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/d-backs-sign-3b-eugenio-suarez
- Wikipedia, 2023 World Baseball Classic, accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_World_Baseball_Classic
