Eugenio Suárez, third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks and a key player for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning against Team USA during the quarterfinal round on March 21, 2023, at loanDepot park in Miami Gardens, Florida.[1][2] The blast off reliever Jason Adam narrowed the deficit to 7-5, but the U.S. pulled away for a 9-7 victory.[1][2]
Bryce Harper homered twice for the U.S., including a three-run shot earlier in the game, helping the defending champions advance to the semifinals.[1][3] Venezuela, which finished fourth overall after strong pool play, was held to seven runs on 11 hits.[1][2]
Suárez went 1-for-4 in the game with two RBI.[2] The 32-year-old Venezuelan, who has represented his country in the 2017 and 2023 WBCs, is known for openly expressing his Christian faith after performances, often pointing skyward and stating "God is good."[4][5]
The match took place at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins, which hosted the 2023 quarterfinals and will host the semifinals and final of the 2026 World Baseball Classic from March 5-21.[1][6] Venezuela qualified automatically for the 2026 tournament based on its 2023 performance.[6]
In the 2023 tournament, Venezuela went 3-1 in Pool D with wins over Puerto Rico (4-2), Israel (10-7, Suárez homered), and the Dominican Republic (6-5), before losing to Cuba (2-4) in the quarterfinal path.[2][7]
Sources
- MLB.com
United States rallies past Venezuela to reach WBC semifinals
March 21, 2023
https://www.mlb.com/news/usa-beats-venezuela-in-wbc-quarterfinals - ESPN
U.S. rallies past Venezuela to advance to WBC semifinals
March 21, 2023
https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/401547473 - The Athletic
Bryce Harper's two HRs power Team USA past Venezuela in WBC quarters
March 21, 2023
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4318286/2023/03/21/wbc-team-usa-venezuela/ - MLB.com
Eugenio Suárez player profile (faith references in career notes)
Accessed October 2024
https://www.mlb.com/player/eugenio-suarez-608031 - Sports Illustrated/FanNation
Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suárez: 'God is good' after walk-off hit (representative quote)
September 1, 2024
https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/news/diamondbacks-eugenio-suarez-god-is-good-video-walk-off-double - MLB.com
World Baseball Classic 2026 dates, venues announced
October 16, 2024
https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-dates-announced
