U.S. falls short again in WBC final as Venezuela stuns star-studded roster

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MIAMI (AP) — Aaron Judge walked slowly back and forth in the United States dugout Tuesday night while Venezuelan players shed tears and fell to their knees to celebrate the country's first World Baseball Classic title.

Other players from the Americans' $320 million roster stood frozen for several minutes before receiving their silver medals. Bryce Harper, who hit a tying homer in the eighth inning, went over to shake hands with Team Venezuela players before leaving the field.

“In those moments, it's like the Olympics or anywhere else,” Harper said. “I'm really happy for them. Obviously, I want to win no matter what. That's what I play for, is to win a championship and a goal medal. But in that moment it's not about me, it's about us and our game.”

Team USA brought its most loaded roster ever to baseball’s premier international event, but the Americans lost their second straight WBC final after winning the championship in 2017.

“Obviously disappointed,” Judge said. “All of us put on this uniform to go out there and win a gold medal. We fell short of that.”

The U.S. produced just three hits Tuesday night and four runs over the final two games of the WBC — well short of offensive expectations for a roster of players who combined for 382 home runs and 1,111 RBIs last MLB season.

Three years after losing to Shohei Ohtani and Japan in 2023, the Americans were again disappointed, this time by an energetic Venezuelan team led by All-Stars Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez mowed down the Americans' fearsome lineup with measured ease on Tuesday, leaving the colorful celebration to his teammates who met him with claps as he stoically exited the mound in the fifth.

Rodríguez fanned Judge — the U.S. captain went 0 for 4 — twice among four strikeouts and held the Americans to just one hit over 5 1/3 innings.

“I’m not going to make any excuses for us,” said United States manager Mark DeRosa. "I think at the end of the day ... it’s early in spring training. Guys are getting ready for the season. Eventually I think the tournament gets moved and I think the guys are in better form pitching-wise.

“But ultimately it’s who gets hot at the right time, who gets a big swing.”

The Americans have won just one title in six iterations of the tournament. DeRosa indicated that the U.S., which has received more buy-in from marquee MLB position players over the years, is still lacking the same commitments from star pitchers.

Reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal participated this year but made just one start in pool play in order to stick with his ramp-up schedule for the regular season with the Detroit Tigers.

“I think every position player wants to play in it," DeRosa said. “I think from a pitching standpoint, everybody’s at different stages in their career. You've got to get buy-in from the team. You’ve got to get buy-in from the player. You've got to get buy-in from the agent. I think everybody in their heart ... wants to do it. It’s just, what’s the timing of where they are at in their career?”

Venezuela's bullpen gave up only two hits, including Harper's two-run homer over the center-field fence against Andrés Machado in the eighth.

Arraez walked against Garrett Whitlock starting the ninth and pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second just ahead of catcher Will Smith’s throw, then came home on Eugenio Suárez double. Suárez spread his arms wide and pointed to the sky at second base while teammates streamed from the dugout to greet Sanoja at the plate.

It signaled another brutal finish could be coming for the U.S., which lost the 2023 WBC title game when Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to win it for Japan.

The American roster was made up of players who have combined for more than 2,300 home runs and 419 saves, and nine of them have played in a World Series.

But they never quite displayed the full extent of their offensive firepower. They hit .250 over seven games with 44 runs, 10 homers and 40 RBIs.

DeRosa said he was surprised by the lack of offense “because of the names at the back of the jersey, but not surprised because of where they’re at in spring training."

“That’s my answer,” he added. “I really don’t have a rhyme or reason to why. I just think you’re either hot or not in a seven-game blast like this.”

After the U.S. beat the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the semifinals, DeRosa said he was still waiting for his team to break loose at the plate.

That will have to wait another three years.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb