The Team USA bats were dead in the World Baseball Classic championship game against Venezuela until Bryce Harper came through with a massive homer. Bobby Witt Jr worked a two-out walk to get Harper up to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning. The US had not had a runner in scoring position all night, and then the Philadelphia Phillies star did this.

Harper struggled for Team USA coming into the championship game. This was just his second home run of the World Baseball Classic, and his OPS before the title game was just .624. But the USA first baseman came through in the biggest moment against Venezuela.

Harper smashed the home run off of Andrés Machado, who made 137 appearances with the Kansas City Royals and Washington Nationals across four seasons. He has not pitched in the majors since 2023, but did play in Japan last season. Coming into the championship game, he had hurled four scoreless innings in four appearances for Venezuela.

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Aaron Judge struck out to end the bottom of the eighth inning immediately after Harper's homer. But the Americans have a chance to come from behind and steal the World Baseball Classic championship game.

The tie game did not last long, as Eugenio Suarez doubled in Luis Arraez before Garrett Whitlock recorded an out in the top of the ninth. The Americans could not score in the bottom of the ninth, losing as large favorites. It was because their bats never came alive, and Harper's swing was their only glimmer of hope for the entire game.

Kyle Schwarber, Gunnar Henderson, and Roman Anthony combined for 81 home runs last season. Daniel Palencia, who made just six appearances for the Chicago Cubs last year, sat them down in order to end the game.

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