Team Italy will look to secure a spot in the World Baseball Classic final, where Team USA is already waiting, with the biggest news being that Aaron Nola will start against Team Venezuela.
The news was revealed by insider Jeff Passan, who reported the interesting change on his X account, which also features Michael Lorenzen as another key figure.
“A change in plans, pivoting from Michael Lorenzen, who would go in a potential final against Team USA — which he beat in pool play,” the reporter also added. If they reach the final, manager Francisco Cervelli is expected to go with a full bullpen game against Team USA.
All-or-nothing game for Italy
Italy aim to maintain its undefeated 5-0 record tonight by relying on an aggressive offense that averages over eight runs per game. After a historic 8-6 victory over Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals—where they built an early lead and survived a late-inning rally—the Italians look to exploit Venezuela’s pitching depth with power hitters like Vinnie Pasquantino, who recently set a WBC record with three home runs in a single game.
Nola and Lorenzen’s numbers in this WBC
Both Michael Lorenzen and Aaron Nola have provided a much-needed veteran presence for Team Italy’s rotation during their historic 2026 WBC run. Lorenzen set the tone early in pool play by shutting down USA, throwing 4.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and allowing just two hits in a massive 8–6 upset. Aaron Nola matched that dominance in his tournament debut against Mexico, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings while striking out five and scattering four hits.
Chasing the long-awaited final
After making history by reaching their first-ever semifinal, Team Italy will look to clinch a spot in the final tonight,, as they face Venezuela at 8:00 p.m. ET. The winner of this clash at loanDepot park in Miami will move on to the championship game on Tuesday to face the United States.