Author: rincon

HOUSTON — Buongiorno, buon pomeriggio, buonanotte.

One night after upsetting Team USA for the biggest victory in Italy baseball history, there was no letdown Wednesday for Italy (4-0) as it finished off a remarkable undefeated run to win Pool B and — finally, officially — help punch USA’s (3-1) ticket to the quarterfinals by beating and eliminating Mexico. 

Here are my takeaway’s from Italy’s 9-1 win over Mexico.

1. Undefeated Italy is the story of this tournament

Italy made noise in the last World Baseball Classic, securing wins against Cuba and the Netherlands in pool play to get to the quarterfinals for the second time in the nation’s history. The Italians advanced that year despite not hitting a single home run until the quarterfinals. 

This time, an entirely different, more superior, more complete, more overpowering version of Italian baseball has taken the WBC by storm, following wins against Brazil and Great Britain by upsetting USA’s best roster ever on Tuesday and annihilating a Mexico team that nearly made it to the WBC finals three years ago on Wednesday. 

A youthful, exuberant, confident Team Italy lineup launched 12 home runs during pool play, the second-most of any team in the tournament, trailing only a Dominican Republic roster teeming with MLB superstars, and looked unintimidated by some of the sport’s best arms. The rotation, featuring MLB veterans Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen at the top, combined to tally a 1.00 ERA over four games. 

The end result: a spectacular juggernaut that outscored its pool-play opponents by 21 runs and deservedly captured a pool that most thought unconquerable. 

2. Italy saves USA’s pancetta

All Team USA had to do on Tuesday was beat Italy to secure its spot in the WBC quarterfinals. Instead, the Italy offense teed off to take an early 8-0 lead and held on late, putting USA’s dream team in a precarious position. 

If Italy didn’t beat Mexico, or if Mexico won while scoring four runs or fewer, the U.S. would have been eliminated. It would have been an embarrassing catastrophe. 

Instead, thanks to Italy’s work on Wednesday, USA’s shocking pool-play defeat might now just be a footnote in its 2026 WBC journey. 

3. Pasquantino breaks out to make WBC homer history

Vinnie Pasquantino, who participated in the 2023 WBC and has spent much of the last year helping recruit players to the 2026 squad, is the captain, heart and soul of Team Italy. Even when he wasn’t producing offensively — he was hitless through the first three games of the tournament — teammates gushed about his defense, his leadership and his ability to make players around him feel comfortable. 

“That’s what I see the captaincy being,” Pasquantino told me before Wednesday’s game. “It’s not about performance, in my opinion, it’s about what you can bring to the team. And I know these guys are looking to me for mostly offense, which I haven’t been able to provide, but showing them, like, ‘Look, guys, it’s not going well for me right now, that doesn’t mean it can’t go well for the team.’ That’s what this game’s all about.”

On Wednesday, though, he brought more than good vibes.

After an 0-for-12 start to the tournament, Pasquantino started the scoring Wednesday with a solo shot off Javier Assad on his first at-bat of the game. Two at-bats later, the Royals slugger added his second home run of the night, a positive sign going forward for an Italy team that had gotten to this point without its best hitter producing. 

And he still wasn’t done. 

In the eighth, Pasquantino launched his third home run of the game, becoming the first player in WBC history to accomplish the feat. 

4. Nola helps out his Phillies sluggers 

Aaron Nola’s Phillies teammates, USA sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, might need to send him a gift basket. 

Beyond the young talent throughout the lineup, what separated this Italy team from past iterations — and what made it such an interesting sleeper in the tournament — was the presence of the best arm it had ever taken into the WBC. 

On Wednesday, Nola lived up to the billing as the team’s ace, following Michael Lorenzen’s 4.2 scoreless innings of work against Team USA by delivering five scoreless frames against Mexico. 

4 ½. What’s next? 

The stage is now set for the quarterfinals in Houston, with the USA and Canada playing Friday at 7 p.m. CT and Italy facing Puerto Rico on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

It came down to the wire, but Team USA is moving on.

With Italy‘s 9-1 win over Mexico in the final game of Pool B play, the United States has advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic as the group’s runner-up. Italy will take on Puerto Rico, runners-up of Pool A, on Friday in Houston (8 p.m. on FOX).

Team USA will now play Pool A winners Canada on Saturday in the quarterfinals in Houston (3 p.m. on FS1). 

The United States went 3-1 in pool play, defeating Brazil (15-5), Great Britain (9-1) and Mexico (5-3) but losing to Italy (8-6).

Mexico finishes in third place in Pool B at 2-2, followed by Great Britain (1-3) and Brazil (0-4).

As for individual USA pool play standouts, Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony drove in six runs, while posting a .333/.474/.533 slash line; Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs against Italy on Tuesday night; Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber had a USA-high six hits, one of them being a home run, while posting a .375/.500/.563 slash line; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson hit .500.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes pitched four scoreless innings, while striking out seven batters and surrendering just two baserunners against Mexico; San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb surrendered just one run and one baserunner across four innings against Brazil, while striking out six batters.

Team USA lost to Japan in the 2023 WBC Championship and last won the World Baseball Classic in 2017.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Team USA can only wait to see whether its campaign continues, or whether its MLB superstars are going back to their respective spring trainings. 

[WBC Bracket: Standings, Who Is Advancing?]

It’s the final day of World Baseball Classic pool play, and we’re set for some drama. Recapping Wednesday’s action.

JUMP TO:  Canada In, Cuba Out | USA Awaits Italy-Mexico Winner | D.R., Venezuela Set For Heavyweight Fight

Canada Wins Pool A; Cuba’s First-Round Exit Ever

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Canada advanced past the first round of the World Baseball Classic for the first time, beating Cuba 7-2 Wednesday in a winner-take-all game at San Juan, Puerto Rico, behind Abraham Toro’s homer and Otto Lopez’s two-run single.

Cuba was knocked out in the first round for the first time in the tournament’s history.

Brothers Bo Naylor and Josh Naylor drove in runs, Owen Caissie had two RBIs and reliever James Paxton struck out six over 2 2/3 scoreless innings for Canada (3-1), which eliminated the Cubans (2-2) and won Group A over Puerto Rico (3-1). 

Canada and Puerto Rico will play quarterfinals in Houston this weekend.

Mexico Takes On Italy; USA Awaits Fate

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Team USA’s dream team faces the possibility of getting knocked out in the first round. They await the winner of Wednesday’s Pool B finale between Italy and Mexico.

After Italy pulled off the upset against the USA in Tuesday’s game, the Azzurri will look to beat Mexico to clinch Pool B. Meanwhile, Mexico (who lost to the USA on Monday) will try to keep its hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals alive. 

If the Italy-Mexico game goes nine innings and Mexico wins and scores five or more runs, the USA is out and Mexico advances. Mexico winning while scoring four or fewer also keeps the USA out. 

Dominican Republic, Venezuela To Settle Pool D

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It’s a match between two WBC heavyweights with plenty at stake. And the atmosphere in Miami should be electric. 

Both teams are undefeated entering their final game at loanDepot Park having already clinched quarterfinal spots. But just listing the players who’ll be on the field for these times. 

Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Julio Rodríguez, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. for the Dominican Republic. Ronald Acuña Jr., Salvador Perez, Jackson Chourio, Luis Arraez and more on Venezuela.

Potential rematch in the WBC Championship Game next Tuesday, anyone?

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

A showdown between two neighboring counties brought a boatload of baseball fans alike together.

Tuesday night’s matchup between Team USA and Mexico was the most watched World Baseball Classic game of all time. With a figure of 5.018 million viewers, it was the most-watched WBC telecast ever on any network. 

Other figures include:

• Peak Viewership: 5,649,000 from 9:00-9:15 PM ET
• Up +215% vs. 2023’s lone USA WBC pool play game on FOX & FOX Deportes (5,018,000 vs. 1,592,000)

The United States won 5-3 behind four scoreless innings and seven strikeouts from Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes. Meanwhile, Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony hit a three-run home run, while New York Yankees superstar and Team USA captain Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning, with that five-run inning accounting for all the country’s runs. Judge and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. each had two-hit performances for the United States.

Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran had a three-hit performance for Mexico, highlighted by a pair of solo home runs in the sixth and eighth innings, with Joey Meneses also driving in a run in the top of the sixth.

Team USA went 3-1 in pool play, with Mexico currently 2-1 in pool play. Mexico plays Italy on Wednesday night in a matchup that will decide which two countries will advance to the quarterfinal round of the tournament (two of Mexico, Italy and the United States will advance past Pool B).

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports