Venezuela is headed to the World Baseball Classic final! After a spirited seventh-inning comeback against Italy, Arepa Power is in the finals of the WBC for the first time. The Venezuelans will take on Team USA in a rematch of the 2023 WBC quarterfinal slugfest between the two teams.
The big question is: who will the Venezuelans send out to face the fearsome Team USA hitting lineup? Venezuela is entrusting the first few innings of the World Baseball Classic finals to Diamondbacks lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez, per Bob Nightengale.
Rodriguez is a veteran pitcher who's played for 10 years in the MLB. He's had stops with the Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers, and the Diamondbacks, who he's played for since 2023. He posted a 5.02 ERA last season in 29 games and 154.1 innings pitched, striking out 143 batters during that period. His lone start this WBC did not go well, ceding three runs in 2.2 innings to the Dominican Republic in the pool stages.
As for Team USA, they will be sending out rookie Nolan McLean to the mound to start the game. While the rookie impressed in his first year in the league, McLean was rocked by the same Italian team that Team Venezuela beat in the playoffs. The Mets pitcher gave up two big home runs against Italy in the pool stages en route to a loss.
“Obviously I got clipped there a couple times with the homer,” McLean said after being named the starter. “But overall, I felt really good. As a competitor, if you work your whole life at something, you want to be put in these spots. So it’s just kind of a dream come true to be able to get the ball in such a big moment, and it’s something I want to do.”
Team Venezuela last faced Team USA in the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. In that game, Arepa Power scored seven huge runs, but it wasn't enough as the US' nine-run explosion gave them the victory. This time around, the stakes are higher. Will Venezuela take home their first World Baseball Classic title, or will Team USA reclaim the championship that has eluded them for the last few years?
