Italy Loses 4-2 to Venezuela in WBC Semifinal

Italy's surprising run in the World Baseball Classic came to an end Monday night with a 4-2 semifinal loss to Venezuela at loanDepot park in Miami, but the Azzurri left an indelible mark on their sport and homeland.

The defeat capped a remarkable tournament for the underdogs, who started with a perfect 5-0 record to advance to their first semifinal. Managed by Francisco Cervelli, the team featured a young roster with just a few major leaguers and many minor league players, most of Italian descent but not all born in the country. Despite baseball's secondary status in soccer-dominated Italy, the Azzurri's performance drew widespread attention and inspired hopes for the sport's growth there.

The game turned in the seventh inning when Italy squandered a 2-1 lead. Reliever Michael Lorenzen issued a two-out walk before Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez delivered consecutive run-scoring singles, putting Venezuela ahead for good. The pro-Venezuela sellout crowd of over 36,000 roared as the Venezuelans secured the victory and advanced to the final.

Italian players lingered on the dugout railing for about 10 minutes after the final out, watching Venezuela's celebration while...