Wednesday, March 18
Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s edition was written by David Adler.
The World Baseball Classic got, well, a classic ending last night with Venezuela’s 3-2 victory over Team USA.
For Venezuela, it was the country’s first WBC championship — a win that meant everything to the team and its fans. As manager Omar López said simply after the game: “Long live Venezuela.”
For the U.S., it was the second straight loss in the World Baseball Classic finals. The United States lost the 2023 WBC championship game by the same score to Japan, and its superstar-studded 2026 team came up just short again in its quest to reclaim WBC gold after winning in 2017.
Let’s relive last night’s epic final. Here are the top five moments of the WBC championship game:
1) Sanoja’s stolen base sets up Geno’s game-winner
Eugenio Suárez’s go-ahead double off Garrett Whitlock in the top of the ninth inning was the play that gave Venezuela its first World Baseball Classic championship. And Geno’s look-to-the-heavens celebration afterwards will be one of the lasting images of the 2026 Classic.
But none of that could have happened if not for the bold stolen base by pinch-runner Javier Sanoja earlier in the at-bat to get the game-winning run into scoring position.
Sanoja, subbing in for Luis Arraez after a leadoff walk, took off for second and just barely beat U.S. catcher Will Smith’s throw. It was shades of Dave Roberts in the 2004 ALCS. Then Sanoja scampered home on Suárez’s gapper.
2) Harper’s game-tying home run
If not for Suárez’s clutch knock, Bryce Harper’s home run for Team USA would be the moment we’d all be talking about today.
With the U.S. completely shut down by Venezuela entering the bottom of the eighth, Harper delivered the team’s biggest swing of the tournament.
Harper smashed a 432-foot home run to center field to tie the game, and his home run celebration — which included Team USA’s signature salute and pointing to the American flag patch on his sleeve — showed what the moment meant to the U.S.
Harper’s home run trot took 35.63 seconds — the longest of the entire World Baseball Classic. It was even longer than the longest of the Dominican Republic’s electric celebrations.
3) Palencia closes the door
Venezuela closer Daniel Palencia was unhittable all tournament. And he overpowered the U.S. in the ninth inning of the championship game.
Palencia struck out Kyle Schwarber on a 99 mph fastball to start the inning, and he blew away Roman Anthony — who hit the game-winning home run for the U.S. against the D.R. in the semifinals — with a 100 mph heater to end it.
Palencia’s WBC-ending strikeout of Anthony brought back memories of how the 2023 Classic ended for Team USA, when Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to win the WBC for Japan.
4) Wilyer does it again
Wilyer Abreu came up huge for Venezuela in both the quarterfinal win over Japan and the championship game win over Team USA.
Abreu’s go-ahead three-run homer against Japan helped Venezuela dethrone the reigning WBC champs. And his home run in the fifth inning of the final helped take down the U.S.
The Red Sox outfielder sent a 96 mph fastball from Team USA starter Nolan McLean 414 feet to dead center and even lost his helmet celebrating around the bases.
5) E-Rod pitches the game of his life
Eduardo Rodriguez has a 5.02 ERA over his last two Major League seasons. But the Venezuela starter stymied one of the best lineups ever assembled in the WBC finals.
Rodriguez pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings, holding Team USA to just one hit and striking out four — including U.S. captain and reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge twice. The veteran left-hander kept the powerful U.S. hitters off-balance to set the tone for Venezuela.
So that was the best of the best of the WBC championship game. But the entire World Baseball Classic was full of incredible moments. MLB.com’s international baseball guru, Michael Clair, has more on the defining storylines of the 2026 Classic.
COLE’S BACK FOR THE YANKS
One of the best pitchers in baseball is back.
We’ve been waiting for Gerrit Cole to return, and the Yankees ace finally did, making his first Grapefruit League start today.
Cole pitched one inning against the Red Sox, allowing two hits but no runs. He threw 10 pitches. The best sign by far was how his stuff looked. Cole’s fastball averaged 97.1 mph and topped out at 98.7 mph. He slider averaged 90.2 mph and his curveball averaged 84.1 mph. Those are all higher than Cole’s averages for his most recent season in 2024.
This was Cole’s first game action since the 2023 Cy Young winner had Tommy John surgery last March. Cole won’t be ready for Opening Day, but he’s expected to rejoin the Yankees’ stacked rotation in late May or early June.
“It’s definitely exciting,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Cole’s start. “Obviously, I think everyone’s been excited just how good he’s looked.”
OHTANI TAKES THE MOUND, TOO
Cole isn’t the only ace back on the mound today. Shohei Ohtani is, too, even though he just got back to the Dodgers from the World Baseball Classic.
The reigning NL MVP is already making his Cactus League pitching debut this afternoon at 4:05 p.m. ET against the Giants. You can watch Ohtani’s first start on SportsNet LA, MLB.TV and MLB Network.
Ohtani didn’t pitch for Japan during the WBC this time, he only hit, unlike in the 2023 Classic. But Ohtani did stay on his pitching schedule even while he was away from the Dodgers. He threw four innings of live batting practice against the Samurai Japan hitters last Thursday — and he looked like he was in midseason form, with seven strikeouts.
Because Japan, the defending WBC champion, was eliminated in the quarterfinals, the Dodgers can get Ohtani back on the mound at Spring Training earlier than they expected.
GET READY FOR SPRING BREAKOUT
The third annual Spring Breakout prospect showcase starts tomorrow, and the 2026 rosters are absolutely loaded.
From Thursday through Sunday, for 16 games, you’ll get to see every team’s top prospects facing off against each other.
This year’s rosters include four of MLB Pipeline’s top five overall prospects — Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (No. 1), Brewers infielder Jesús Made (No. 3), A’s shortstop Leo De Vries (No. 4) and Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt (No. 5).
MLB.com has a complete lineup of Spring Breakout coverage. For a rundown of all 30 Spring Breakout rosters, go here. And for everything you need to know about Spring Breakout 2026, go here.
PLAY DAILY WALKOFF
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RJ Hamster 