Venezuela rallies past Puerto Rico in World Baseball Classic pool play; Eugenio Suárez hits solo homer

Venezuela defeated Puerto Rico 6-5 in 10 innings on March 15, 2023, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida, during Pool D action of the World Baseball Classic. The victory improved Venezuela's record to 2-1 and kept their quarterfinal hopes alive.[1][2]

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez connected on a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning off Puerto Rico reliever Yacksel Ríos, giving Venezuela a 3-1 lead. Suárez finished 1-for-5 with one RBI.[1][2]

Suárez reacted by pointing to the sky after circling the bases, consistent with his practice of publicly expressing his Christian faith. The Venezuela native has credited God in numerous post-game interviews, stating "God is good" and giving "all glory to God" after significant performances.[3][4]

The game featured late drama, with Puerto Rico tying the score in the eighth before Venezuela scored in the 10th on a wild pitch. Suárez and his teammates advanced to their final pool game against the Dominican Republic two days later on March 17, but fell 1-0 and did not advance to the quarterfinals.[1][5]

Suárez, 31 at the time, batted .154 (2-for-13) with one homer and one RBI over four tournament games for Venezuela. The country has competed in every WBC since 2006, with a best finish of quarterfinals in 2017 when they lost to the United States.[2][5]

Venezuela outfielder Wilyer Abreu, now with the Boston Red Sox, also played in the tournament. The 2026 World Baseball Classic is scheduled for March 5-18, with the championship game set for March 18 at loanDepot park.[6]