The United States will face Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic Championship game in Miami on Tuesday, with Team USA looking to win its second championship of the tournament.
The United States defeated the powerful Dominican Republic team in the semifinals, and Venezuela defeated Italy, who had already eliminated defending champion Japan. New York Mets right-hander Nolan McLean will start for Team USA in the championship game after only eight starts in MLB.
“Honestly, I think you’d be crazy not to want to do this,” McLean said the day before the start. “I just had the opportunity to go out there and compete honestly against the best players in the world with America as a country in my heart.”
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Leading off in the top of the fifth inning, Wylier Abreu hit a solo home run to center field off Nolan McLean, doubling Venezuela’s lead.
Up to 4: Venezuela 1, America 0
Eduardo Rodriguez held the strong American batting lineup to four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Venezuela leads 1-0 through the fifth inning at Lawn Depot Park. American starting pitcher Nolan McLean pitched four innings, striking out four and allowing just one run.
Salvador Perez singled, Ronald Acuña Jr. walked, and Nolan McLean’s one-out wild pitch advanced runners to second and third base. Michael Garcia hit a long sacrifice fly to center field, and Perez scored to give Venezuela a 1-0 lead. McLean grounded out Luis Arraez and the top of the third inning ended without further damage.
Nolan McLean was hit with a two-out single by Ezequiel Tovar in the top of the second inning, but Wylya Abreu popped out to shortstop and the game remained scoreless until the bottom of the second inning. The right-hander had two strikeouts on just 18 pitches.
Ronald Acuña Jr. dived on Nolan McLean’s first pitch of the game and singled to center field, but right-hander Michael Garcia grounded into a 5-4-3 double play and Luis Arraez flied out to center field to end the top of the first inning. McLean, 24, needed just five pitches to finish the inning.
starting pitcher:RHP Nolan McLean (Mets)
- bobby witt jr. – SS (Royals)
- bryce harper – 1B (Phillies)
- aaron judge – RF (Yankees)
- Kyle Schwarber – DH (Phillies)
- alex bregman – 3B (Cubs)
- roman anthony – LF (Red Sox)
- Will Smith – C (Dodgers)
- Bryce Turan – 2B (Brewmaker)
- byron buxton – CF (Twins)
Starting pitcher: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
- Ronald Acuña Jr. – RF (Braves)
- Michael Garcia – 3B (Royals)
- Luis Arraez – 1B (parents)
- Eugenio Suarez – DH (Diamondbacks)
- Gleyber Torres – 2B (Yankees)
- Ezequiel Tovar – SS (Rockies)
- Wylier Abreu – LF (Red Sox)
- Salvador Perez – C (Royals)
- Jackson Cholio – CF (Brewers)
Eduardo Rodriguez stats
- 2025 (ARI): 9–9, ERA 5.02, IP 154.1, SO 143
- 2024 (ARI): 3–4, ERA 5.04, IP 50.0, SO 47
- 2023 (that): 13–9, ERA 3.30, IP 152.2, SO 143
- 2022 (that): 5–5, ERA 4.05, IP 91.0, SO 72
- 2021 (BOS): 13–8, ERA 4.74, IP 157.2, SO 185
- 2020 (BOS): didn’t play
- 2019 (BOS): 19–6, ERA 3.81, IP 203.1, SO 213
- 2018 (BOS): 13 wins, 5 losses, ERA 3.82, IP 129.2, SO 146
- 2017 (BOS): 6–7, ERA 4.19, IP 137.1, SO 150
- 2016 (BOS): 3–7, ERA 4.71, IP 107.0, SO 100
- 2015 (BOS): 10–6, ERA 3.85, IP 121.2, SO 98
nolan mclean statistics
Surprisingly, he performed better in the National League than the International League. He allowed just 34 hits in 48 innings, posting a 2.06 ERA, 57-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.04 WHIP.
The Mets won seven of McLean’s eight starts, his only setback being a 1-0 loss to the division champion Phillies. Not that Philadelphia got the best of him. He also pitched eight shutout innings against the Phillies at Citi Field, allowing just four hits in his third major league start.
- bob nightengale: USA 8, Venezuela 3
- Gabe Lux: USA 8, Venezuela 6
- steve gardner: USA 5, Venezuela 2
- Jesse Yomtov: USA 7, Venezuela 6
USA vs Venezuela betting odds
(Odds by BetMGMas of 3:00 p.m. ET)
- Venezuela:+200
- US:-250
USA Baseball is trying to get a glimpse of the men’s hockey team, from the championship team to another team with a chance of winning, ahead of the World Baseball Classic title game against Venezuela.
These are game-worn sweaters by the U.S. men’s hockey team, the same team that won gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympics less than a month ago. Team USA is coming to Lawn Depot Park in style. You could call it golden yellow.
– John Hoefling
The role has proven to be very fluid during Team USA’s checkered 20-year history in the World Baseball Classic.
The player became the manager. After playing for their fathers, the stars became coaches themselves and eventually became team photographers. And getting the right board structure is an ever-evolving process.
Until now, maybe. Mark DeRosa will lead Team USA in the WBC for the second year in a row, becoming the first captain to lead the team for the second time.
His WBC history goes even deeper. DeRosa was a valuable utility player during his major league career, going 6-for-19 with seven runs scored for the 2009 team, which lost to Japan in the semifinals. He will have to lead the U.S. to a finals appearance in 2023 and manage what is currently considered the most talented of the U.S.’s six WBC entries.
– Gabe Lux
pitcher
- RHP David Bednar
- LHP Matthew Boyd
- LHP Garrett Cleavinger
- LHP Tim Hill
- RHP Jeff Hoffman
- RHP Clay Homes
- RHP Griffin Jacks
- RHP Brad Keller
- RHP Nolan McLean
- RHP Mason Miller
- RHP Tyler Rogers
- RHP Paul Skeens
- LHP Gabe Speier
- RHP gets rights
catcher
- Will Smith – Dodgers
- Cal Lowry – Mariners
infielder
- Alex Bregman – Red Sox
- Ernie Clement – Blue Jays
- Paul Goldschmidt – Yankees
- Bryce Harper – Phillies
- Gunnar Henderson – Orioles
- Bryce Turan – Brewers
- Bobby Witt Jr. – Royals
outfielder
- Roman Anthony – Red Sox
- Byron Buxton – Twins
- Pete Crowe Armstrong – Cubs
- Aaron Judge – Yankees
- Kyle Schwarber – Phillies
American WBC History vs. Venezuela
Tuesday’s final was the sixth WBC competition between the United States and Venezuela, with Team USA winning three of the first five meetings.
- 2023 Quarterfinals: USA 9, Venezuela 7
- 2017 2nd round: USA 4, Venezuela 2
- 2009 Round 2: Venezuela 10, USA 6
- 2009 1st Round: Venezuela 5, USA 3
- 2009 1st round: USA 16, Venezuela 6
Who is Nolan MacLean?
It wasn’t that long ago that McLean dreamed of following in Shohei Ohtani’s footsteps. The Mets drafted him in the third round as a two-way player out of Oklahoma State in 2023 and kept him at bat through the 2024 season.
As MacLean racked up an impressive starting record at Syracuse, posting a 2.78 ERA in 16 games, the demand for him to anchor the Mets’ struggling rotation grew louder. He finally arrived on August 16th and became perhaps the most reliable cog on a Mets team that couldn’t stop its free fall.
McLean’s arm made contact a problem when he moved up to Class AA. He had 74 strikeouts in 143 at-bats in Class A and Class AA. It was pitching.
On that front, he was averaging strikeouts per inning, which was good. And in 2025, he graduated from Class AA Binghamton to AAA Syracuse in just five starts, where he excelled even more.
– Gabe Lux
- 2023: Japan
- 2017: America
- 2013: dominican republic
- 2009: Japan
- 2006: Japan
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Watch the WBC Championship on Fubo
Where is the World Baseball Classic held?
Tuesday’s WBC Championship Game will be held at Lawndepot Park in Miami, home of the Marlins.
Billiards games were held in Tokyo, Miami, Houston, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, with quarterfinals held in Houston and Miami. Both semi-finals were also held at Lawndepot Park.
The finals are scheduled on the following dates:
- date: March 17, 2026
- time: 8:00 PM (Eastern Time)
- site: Lawn Depot Park, Miami
Watch USA vs. Venezuela on Fubo!
