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Bryce Harper Congratulated Team Venezuela in Classy Move After Team USA WBC Loss

What a classy move by the Phillies star.
Madison Williams|
Bryce Harper congratulated Team Venezuela by giving them hugs and handshakes.
Bryce Harper congratulated Team Venezuela by giving them hugs and handshakes. | World Baseball Classic/Screengrab

Venezuela beat Team USA in the World Baseball Classic championship game on Tuesday night in a thrilling finish.

The game was pretty slow until the eighth inning, at which point Venezuela led 2–0 over the Americans. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth for Team USA, Bryce Harper stepped up to the plate and gave his team and its fans hope by crushing a two-run homer to tie the ball game. It was an iconic moment for Harper as he flipped his bat and took his time rounding the bases to really soak in the experience.

However, in the top of the ninth inning, Venezuela’s Eugenio Suárez immediately responded by hitting an RBI double to give his team the 3–2 lead. Team USA couldn’t answer back in the bottom of the ninth, resulting in Venezuela winning its first WBC title.

MORE SI: U.S. Fails to Muster Enough Offense in Loss to Venezuela

The American players understandably looked distraught in the dugout while the Venezuelan team and its fans erupted in celebrations on the field and in the stands. Team USA humbly and respectfully received their silver medals from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, but the players were likely frustrated and emotional on the inside.

Harper, though, seemed to put any emotions he may have been feeling aside and went out of his way to congratulate his opponents. Right after receiving his silver medal, the Phillies star made a beeline to Team Venezuela and shook the hands of various players to congratulate them. He gave quite a few players, including Suárez, hugs and pats on the back. In a video posted by the World Baseball Classic on X, formerly known as Twitter, you can hear some of the Venezuelan players saying “thank you” to Harper.

What a classy move by the MLB superstar.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University.

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