Team USA’s opponent in the World Baseball Classic championship will be decided in tonight’s semifinal. Will it be Venezuela or the still-undefeated Italy, who the US already lost to in this year’s tournament?
Venezuela defeated the defending champions, Samurai Japan, in an 8-5 upset win in the quarterfinals. Ronald Acuña Jr. got things started in that matchup with a leadoff home run, while Wilyer Abreu’s three-run home run in the sixth inning put Venezuela ahead.
Italy is playing in its first-ever WBC semifinal tonight following its quarterfinal win over Puerto Rico on Saturday. Even without a home run in the quarterfinal, two four-run innings led to the 8-6 victory.
“The level of confidence it’s growing and growing and growing,” Italy manager Francisco Cervelli said after the win. “We’ve got to stay humble, concentrate and do what we know, that’s it. Play our game.”
2026 world baseball classic: what to know
- Who: Italy vs. Venezuela
- When: March 16, 8 p.m. ET
- Where: loanDepot Park (Miami, Florida)
- Channel: FS1
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
The winner of tonight’s winner-take-all quarterfinal will advance to Tuesday night’s final against the the United States.
WBC 2026: Italy vs. Venezuela start time
Tonight’s (March 16) World Baseball Classic semifinal between Italy and Venezuela is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET.
How to watch Italy vs. Venezuela for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching baseball live for free — its five-day free trial includes FS1. When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $59.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.
Sling TV is another affordable way to stream live TV; its Select plan includes FS1 and starts at $19.99/month.
Italy vs. Venezuela pitchers
Keider Montero will start for Venezuela, while Aaron Nola will be on the mound for Italy.
World Baseball Classic 2026 key dates
- SF 2: Italy vs. Venezuela – March 16, 8 p.m. ET (FS1)
- Championship: USA vs. TBD – March 17, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
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