Acuna sparks Venezuela's rally past Italy and into World Baseball Classic final

Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald on Mar 16, 2026

Published in Baseball

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MIAMI — It seemed like only a matter of time before Venezuela got its big hit, that momentum-swinging spark that would tilt this World Baseball Classic semifinal against Italy in its favor.

It finally came in the seventh inning.

And, naturally, it came from Ronald Acuna Jr.

The superstar leadoff hitter and right fielder logged the first of three consecutive two-out RBI singles to give Venezuela a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in a 4-2 win over Italy in the friendly confines of Miami’s loanDepot park.

Venezuela is in the World Baseball Classic final for the first time in six iterations of the tournament, only ever making it to the semifinal once prior to this year — in 2009. It plays the United States on Tuesday (8 p.m., Fox) for the crown in a rematch of their quarterfinal game from the 2023 tournament that the United States won on a Trea Turner go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning.

With two outs in the seventh and trailing by a run, Acuna chopped a ground ball to Italy shortstop Sam Antonacci and speed down the first-base line to beat out the throw. That allowed Andres Gimenez, pinch-running for Gleyber Torres, to score from third and tie the game at 2-2.

Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez followed with RBI singles of their own — Garcia’s going to left field, Arraez’s to left-center — to give Venezuela its first lead of the game.

The Venezuelan-heavy sold-out crowd of 35,382 got louder with each hit. The dugout celebration magnified with each runner that crossed home plate.

All three hits came Michael Lorenzen, who Italy manager Francisco Cervelli originally announced as the team’s starter for the semifinal before changing course and having Aaron Nola begin the game on the mound.

“My reason was my gut,” Cervelli said pregame. “It was me. Everyone is available, but I think Nola is the right person. That’s my opinion, and I’m taking responsibility for my decisions.”

Nola held his own against a stout Venezuela lineup, holding them to just one run — a Eugenio Suarez solo home run on a curveball outside the zone in the fourth inning — while striking out three. To that point, it was enough as Italy scored twice in the second on a J.J. D’Orazio bases-loaded walk and Dante Nori RBI fielder’s choice against Venezuela starting pitcher Keider Montero, who struggled with command in his brief outing.

But Venezuela held Italy in check after that, with six relievers holding Italy scoreless over the final 7 2/3 innings, biding its time for its moment offensively.

That finally came in the seventh inning.

It put an end to Italy’s surprising run through the tournament. They went a perfect 5-0 prior to Monday, sweeping through pool play (including an 8-6 upset over the United States) and defeating Puerto Rico 8-6 in the quarterfinals.

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