In the ninth inning of Tuesday night’s World Baseball Classic final, with the score tied and a nation holding its breath, Astros bench coach Omar López made the call. He sent pinch-runner Javier Sanoja for Luis Arraez, watched him steal second on a perfect jump, and set the stage for Eugenio Suárez’s go-ahead double.
Moments later, Venezuela had a 3-2 lead it would not relinquish.
“Long live Venezuela,” López said after the final out.
Venezuela captured its first World Baseball Classic title with a 3-2 win over Team USA in Miami, a game that had everything: dominant pitching, a dramatic Bryce Harper game-tying homer, and a ninth-inning rally that will live in tournament history.
It was the country’s first title in six WBC tournaments, earned under the steady hand of López, who managed aggressively and got the most out of a bullpen that carried Venezuela through the final rounds.
It was also a bittersweet night for José Altuve. Unable to participate due to insurance issues tied to an offseason foot procedure, the Astros star watched from the stands as his home country reached the summit. He had been present throughout Venezuela’s run and was there again for the final—supporting, even if he couldn’t contribute on the field.
The game itself delivered. Eduardo Rodríguez gave Venezuela 4⅓ scoreless innings, and the bullpen held Team USA’s lineup largely in check until Harper’s two-run blast to dead center in the eighth tied it at 2.
The response was immediate. Suárez’s clutch double in the ninth restored the lead, and Daniel Palencia closed it out, striking out Roman Anthony to secure one of the defining wins in Venezuelan baseball history.
For López, it was more than a championship. The Astros’ bench coach left his imprint on every phase of the run—from bullpen management to the decisive call in the ninth—guiding Venezuela to a title that transcended the box score.
An Astros coach is a world champion. And somewhere inside loanDepot Park, José Altuve was smiling.
