It is a spring tradition unlike any other in the World Baseball Classic: Latin American superpowers Venezuela and the Dominican Republic squaring off with significant stakes on the line.
They will meet for the sixth time in WBC history March 11 at Miami’s loanDepot Stadium with the Pool D championship at stake. Both teams are 3-0 and have secured spots in the quarterfinals, so the stakes aren’t as do-or-die as they’ve been in past years.
But these are two superstar squads with significant pride and the action should be fantastic.
Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner, will start for the Dominican Republic, opposed by former World Series champion Eduardo Rodriguez. It will be a tall order for the left-hander against the Dominican lineup, particularly since much of its star-studded heart – Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Junior Caminero, Manny Machado, Julio Rodriguez – swings from the right side.
Yet Venezuela’s no chumps. Leadoff batter Ronald Acuña Jr. has starred in this Classic and will rely on support from hit man Luis Arráez and elders Eugenio Suárez and Salvador Perez.
The Dominican has won three of five WBC meetings, though Venezuela won the most recent clash, a 5-1 win in 2023 pool play as the Dominican failed to advance.
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How to watch Dominican Republic vs Venezuela baseball
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV channel: Fox Sports 1
Live stream: Fubo
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Dominican Republic lineup
Starting pitcher: RHP Sandy Alcantara
RF Fernando Tatis Jr.
2B Ketel Marte
LF Juan Soto
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
3B Manny Machado
DH Junior Caminero
CF Julio Rodriguez
C Austin Wells
SS Geraldo Perdomo
Venezuela lineup tonight
Starting pitcher: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
RF Ronald Acuña Jr.
3B Maikel Garcia
2B Luis Arráez
1B Willson Contreras
DH Salvador Perez
C William Contreras
LF Wilyer Abreu
SS Ezequiel Tovar
CF Jackson Chourio
WBC Pool D standings
Dominican Republic: 3-0
Venezuela: 3-0
Israel: 2-2
Netherlands: 1-3
Nicaragua: 0-4