Venezuela overtakes Italy, sets up WBC final vs. USA

Maikel Garcia hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning for Team Venezuela, which advanced to the World Baseball Classic championship game by beating Team Italy 4-2 on Monday in Miami.

Venezuela, which pieced together four straight two-out hits in a three-run seventh, will play the United States for the title Tuesday night in Miami. The United States beat the Dominican Republic 2-1 on Sunday in the first semifinal.

Venezuela is seeking its first championship while the United States is aiming for its second crown. Both teams went 3-1 in pool play before winning their first two games in the knockout rounds.

The loss was the first of the WBC for Italy, which made a Cinderella run to the semifinals by going 4-0 in Pool B play before beating Puerto Rico 8-6 in a quarterfinal at Houston on Saturday.

Italy, which took a 2-0 lead in the second when J.J. D'Orazio drew a bases-loaded walk and Dante Nori hit into a run-scoring groundout, was eight outs away from another upset when Venezuela rallied against losing pitcher Michael Lorenzen.

Gleyber Torres worked a leadoff walk in the seventh before Lorenzen whiffed Wilyer Abreu and William Contreras. Venezuela pulled off a hit-and-run in which Jackson Chourio singled pinch runner Andres Gimenez to third.

Ronald Acuna Jr. followed with a grounder to the third base side of short, where Sam Antonacci picked the ball cleanly but bounced the throw to first as Acuna Jr. arrived safely and Torres scored.

Garcia delivered the go-ahead single to left, scoring Chourio, before Luis Arraez provided insurance by singling home Acuna.

Angel Zerpa earned the win by getting got the final two outs of the sixth. Eduard Bazardo and Andres Machado threw a perfect inning apiece before Daniel Palencia earned his second save by striking out two in a 1-2-3 ninth.

Venezuela starting pitcher Keider Montero gave up the two runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Garcia and Torres had two hits apiece for Venezuela.

Italy starter Aaron Nola allowed one run in four innings. Zach Dezenzo had two hits for Italy.

--Field Level Media