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By Curt Bishop
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Team USA came up just short in the World Baseball Classic despite an impressive run. They went 3-1 in pool play, eliminated Canada in the quarterfinals and beat the Dominican Republic in the semifinals.
But it was ultimately Venezuela that came away victorious. Still, Team USA showed signs of life, tying the game on a clutch home run by two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper.
Team USA ultimately earned silver medals after making it to the championship game, but Harper spoke after the loss and shared a blunt message about the end of the tournament.
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“I'm not OK with winning the silver," Harper said in a postgame interview with Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "I want to win gold, just like anybody else. But at the end of the night, man, they did it. They won. I’ve got all of the respect for them and what they did."
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Harper clearly was not happy with the way the tournament ended. Team USA had a deep run and overcame the losses of pitchers such as Tarik Skubal and Michael Wacha before the quarterfinals, but they still were unable to finish the job.
Venezuela now has its first WBC title, whereas Team USA has lost in the finals in back-to-back tournaments, having fallen short against Team Japan in 2023. Venezuela ultimately broke through on a go-ahead double by Eugenio Suarez in the top of the ninth.
Team USA had a stacked squad this year that featured Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Will Smith, Alex Bregman, Cal Raleigh, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Logan Webb and Mason Miller.
More MLB: USA Players Made Controversial Move Immediately After WBC Final Loss - Newsweek
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