Venezuela has advanced to its first World Baseball Classic final, where it will face the host nation for the title. Maikel Garcia scored the decisive single in the seventh inning, securing Venezuela's place in the final. The team will play against the United States, who beat the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the first semifinal. This is the first loss for Italy, which made a Cinderella run to the semifinals after defeating Puerto Rico 8-6 in a quarterfinal. Both teams won their 3-1 pool play before winning their first two games in the knockout rounds.