◆WBC Final: USA vs. Venezuela (March 17, Miami, Florida, USA - Lone Depot Park)

Orix Buffaloes 's Machado, who is playing for Venezuela in their quest for their first world championship, took the mound in relief. He came in with two outs and a runner on first in the sixth inning and closer Smith, a teammate of Ohtani's, with a foul fly ball to second base. This was his sixth appearance of the day, tying him for the most on the team. He continued pitching in the eighth inning but gave up a surprising two-run homer to Harper that tied the game.

On this day, he held a press conference ahead of the big match and spoke about his experience in Japan. Regarding the spotlight he has been in due to his performance in the WBC, he said, "I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to show my talent again in this place." He continued, "Playing in Japan has been a great help to me, and I was able to prove that. I feel very good, I am healthy, and I thank God for being here."