MIAMI — The United States was in trouble. The defending World Baseball Classic champion trailed Venezuela by two runs in the eighth inning of a quarterfinal on Saturday night at loanDepot Park. Facing a tough team that had overcome an injury to a star player to take the lead, the right to advance the semifinals was on the line. Then

The Israeli national baseball team was the darling of the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Israel won its first four games at that tournament, with three notable upsets, and advanced to the second round. A documentary detailed the players’ memorable journey and a stuffed mascot — the Mensch on a Bench — gained worldwide fame. That team, which featured a handful