Category: Baseball

Daikin Park (Houston) — Three years after upsetting Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Team Mexico’s fans were ready to party again Monday night. Among a sellout crowd of 41,628 fans in a sea of green, white and red, Mexican flags were unfurled and the sound of noisemakers filled the air. 

And then, at least for one inning, they stopped. 

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A five-run bottom of the third, courtesy of home runs from Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony, briefly quieted a rowdy pro-Mexico crowd as the U.S. team got its revenge, holding on to win its third straight game to start the 2026 World Baseball Classic. 

Here are my takeaways: 

1. USA’s Former Air Force Cadets Do Their Country Proud

Paul Skenes is remembered mostly in college as the ace who helped lead LSU to a national championship. But for the two years before that, he was a two-way standout at Air Force, where he won the John Olerud Award for the best two-way player in college baseball in 2022. 

On Monday, players from the Air Force baseball team were in attendance to watch the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner and Air Force product dominate for their country. Skenes took the mound to the Top Gun anthem, then proceeded to allow just one hit and one walk while striking out seven Mexico batters in four scoreless innings. 

“This is a source of pride for us on the field, but we’ve got a country behind us,” Skenes said on the FOX broadcast. “That’s heavy. So, it’s not something that any of us take lightly, and it’s just a huge blessing to be able to do it.” 

The rules dictate that no pitcher can throw more than 65 pitches in a game in the first round, which is the only reason Skenes didn’t keep going. Skenes and reliever Griffin Jax both attended the Air Force Academy in college, and Jax was the first Air Force Academy graduate in MLB history.

Jax entered with the tying run at the plate in the eighth and got an inning-ending double play from Alejandro Kirk to keep the U.S. ahead by two for good.

“Every guy in that room is proud to represent the United States of America,” DeRosa said. “But the conversations with them were a little bit different, as far as wanting to represent every serviceman and woman who protects our freedom on a nightly basis. They’re thinking a little bit different.”

2. USA’s Captain Gets Going With Both His Arm and His Bat

All the momentum was with Mexico early on after Cal Raleigh struck out with the bases loaded to end the first inning and Roman Anthony was tagged out at the plate on a perfect relay to end the second. Mexico’s supporters were going berserk after each occasion. In the third, though, USA’s captain swung the momentum the other direction with both his arm and his bat. 

A year after a flexor strain limited his ability to throw and play the field, Aaron Judge’s arm looked just fine Monday night when he delivered a dart from right field to third base in time to get Joey Ortiz. Then, in the bottom of the frame, the three-time MVP started the scoring by taking Jesus Cruz deep the other way for a two-run homer. Typically reserved on the field, Judge turned toward the U.S. dugout halfway down the line and yelled their direction. Clearly, Judge is all in on this tournament, which he’s participating in for the first time. 

Also playing in the tournament for the first time is 21-year-old Roman Anthony, who followed four batters after Judge’s homer with a three-run shot of his own. Anthony, a late addition to the roster replacing the injured Corbin Carroll, became the youngest player ever to homer for Team USA in the WBC and gave his team a comfortable 5-0 advantage.

That 417-foot blast, which dinged off the banner in front of the second deck, was crucial as the U.S. bats went quiet for the next five innings. 

3. Jarren Duran Doesn’t Let Mexico Go Down Quietly 

In the second inning, Duran’s arm helped keep the game scoreless when he started a perfect relay to get Anthony at the plate on a double into the right-field corner by Brice Turang. 

The rest of the night, it was the lefty’s bat that terrorized Team USA. 

Last year, Cubs All-Star Matthew Boyd allowed just two home runs all season to left-handed hitters. In addition, only three of Duran’s 16 home runs came against southpaws. 

The history didn’t matter on Monday night, as Duran took Boyd deep in the sixth inning to put Mexico on the board and then again in the eighth to get Mexico within two runs. After Skenes’ overpowering start, Duran’s performance was a reminder of the firepower in a Mexico lineup that outscored its first two pool-play opponents 24-2. 

Duran has been one of the best hitters in the tournament, going 5-for-10 with three home runs. 

4. USA Holds On For 2023 Payback 

Mexico had Team USA’s number entering the tournament, not only shellacking the U.S. in an 11-5 victory in pool play three years ago but also winning each of the last three matchups between the teams in WBC play dating back to 2006. 

“I remember 2023 vividly,” USA manager Mark DeRosa said before Monday’s tilt. “I remember Joey Meneses‘ two homers, Randy Arozarena, all of it.”

With Paul Skenes’ arm, Bobby Witt Jr.’s glove — the Royals shortstop made two miraculous defensive plays, diving to his right and firing across the diamond — and the bats of Judge and Anthony, the U.S. answered back in 2026…and then held on for dear life. 

The third inning was the only frame in which the high-powered U.S. offense plated a run. After Skenes’ departure, Mexico mounted a late rally but came up just short as Garrett Whitlock shut the door in the ninth. 

4 ½. What’s Next? 

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With a win against Italy on Tuesday, USA can go undefeated and win the pool. Mexico will face Italy on Wednesday for its final game of the pool and will need a win for the chance to advance.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Can Team USA and its star-studded lineup and rotation win it all at the 2026 World Baseball Classic?  

Three games, three wins so far for the USA after beating Brazil, dominating Great Britain, and getting past Mexico. It continues with Tuesday’s Pool B finale against Italy at Daiken Park, home of MLB‘s Houston Astros. 

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The game will be Tuesday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. 

How to Watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic

FOX is your exclusive home to the WBC with games spread across the FOX family of networks. 

FOX is set to air seven games, including three Pool B games featuring Team USA, two quarterfinals games and the World Baseball Classic Championship Game on Tuesday, March 17 from Miami’s loanDepot Park. The remaining matchups will air across FS1, FS2, the FOX Sports app, FOX One and Tubi. All 47 games will be available for streaming. Catch the action on the following streaming options:

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• FOXSports.com and FOX Sports app
• FOX One
• Tubi

Team USA Starting Pitcher vs. Italy

New York Mets right-hander Nolan McLean is tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday in the final pool-play game against Italy.

Team USA Starting Lineup vs. Italy

No official lineup yet but perhaps expect some fresh faces with a quarterfinal spot secured. So far in the tournament, Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has two home runs for Team USA, while Red Sox youngster Roman Anthony has a team-leading five RBIs. Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber has five hits for Team USA.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

We are entering the business portion of the World Baseball Classic. Here’s how it’s shaping up.

Entering Monday night’s games, Japan and Korea have already qualified out of Pool C. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela have clinched the quarterfinal spots out of Pool D. That leaves four more teams (two from Pool A and B, respectively) to bunch their knockout round tickets. 

Below are up-to-date pool standings and the remaining games in each pool.

* indicates a team has advanced to the quarterfinals.

All times below are in Eastern Time.

Pool A

• March 9: Cuba vs. Puerto Rico (7 p.m. on FS1)
• March 10: Canada vs. Puerto Rico (7 p.m. on Tubi)
• March 11: Canada vs. Cuba (3 p.m. on FS2)

Pool B

• March 9: Mexico vs. USA (8 p.m. on FOX)
• March 10: Italy vs. USA (9 p.m. on FS1)
• March 11: Italy vs. Mexico (7 p.m. on Tubi)

Pool C

• March 10: Czechia vs. Japan (6 a.m. on FS1)

Pool D

• March 10: Israel vs. Netherlands (7 p.m. on FOX Sports App)
• March 11: Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela (8 p.m. on FS1)

Quarterfinals

1. Friday, March 13: Korea vs. Pool D winner (6:30 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FS2)
2. Friday, March 13: Pool A runner-up vs. Pool B winner (8 p.m., Daikin Park in Houston on FOX)
3. Saturday, March 14: Pool B runner-up vs. Pool A winner (3 p.m., Daikin Park in Houston on FS1)
4. Saturday, March 14: Pool D runner-up vs. Japan (9 p.m., loanDepot Park in Miami on FOX)

Semifinals

1. Sunday, March 15: QF 1 winner vs. QF 2 winner (8 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FS1)
2. Monday, March 16: QF 3 winner vs. QF 4 winner (8 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FS1)

Final

• Tuesday, March 17: SF 1 winner vs. SF2 winner (8 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FOX)

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Daikin Field (Houston) – Tarik Skubal thought he knew what to expect. After all, just last year, the two-time Cy Young Award started the All-Star Game and pitched in three playoff games. Yet nothing could prepare him for the emotions of representing his country at the World Baseball Classic. 

In the first inning Saturday, he couldn’t feel his legs. 

“I haven’t felt that since, like, ‘24, just that feeling of not being able to feel,” Skubal said Monday in front of Team USA’s dugout. “So, that was awesome. I loved it. And I want to experience it again, and I plan on experiencing it again with this club.”

It just won’t be in the 2026 WBC.

The joy of playing for Team USA caused the Tigers ace to consider making another start for the U.S., but Saturday’s pool-play game against Great Britain will mark his lone appearance of the tournament. Skubal confirmed he is sticking with his original plan to only make one start and will be returning to Lakeland, Fla., to rejoin his Detroit teammates sometime after Team USA plays Mexico in Monday’s pool-play game. 

“My spring training start days were scripted out in January with the original plan being starting and then being done,” Skubal said. “Obviously, when I got here, my emotions kind of changed a little bit, my thought process changed a little bit. Tried to make it work, but just couldn’t. I hate it, but it’s all right. I’ll be the first to sign up for the ‘28 Olympics or whenever the next WBC is, I’ll be the first to sign up for that one, too.”

Skubal is not at peace with his choice. 

He said he hasn’t slept much the last few days trying to find ways to make the scheduling work where he could pitch for Team USA in a potential finals game on March 17 without impacting the preparation for his start in the Tigers’ March 26 opener as he embarks on a contract year. 

Ultimately, though, he couldn’t. 

“A lot of that risk and injury stuff is kind of where I drew the line,” Skubal said. “There’s a lot of risk associated with that, and then you put in the adrenaline and the heightened stuff, there’s just a big jump in workload, and that’s kind of what you want to stay away from in spring as you’re building up. Historically, if you look at data, almost all pitcher injuries are in spring or right after All-Star break because there’s time off and then you have a jump and spike in workload. Just being smart. I know what the season obviously means, too. Just kind of the whole thing played into it.”

If the WBC were a year earlier or later, Skubal acknowledged, his decision would probably have been different. Skubal will be paid $32 million in 2026 — a record for an arbitration-eligible player — after winning his historic hearing over the Tigers this winter. A bigger payday awaits at season’s end, when he is set up to become one of the highest-paid pitchers in MLB history.

His teammates and coaches — both with the Tigers and Team USA — understand Skubal’s predicament and why he is choosing to leave, which he said “means the world” to him.

“I know what’s at stake for him,” said USA manager Mark DeRosa. “Given his ability to get to free agency and just generational wealth on the table and everything he’s got in front of him, a chance to win three Cy Youngs in a row, I was proud that he even showed for us.”

Skubal threw 41 pitches for Team USA on Saturday. He allowed one run in three innings and struck out five of the 11 batters he faced. After getting through that start healthy, he consulted with a number of teammates and coaches with both the Tigers and Team USA as well as his agent, Scott Boras, before making his final decision. 

“Tarik’s awesome,” said Alex Bregman, who was among the players who spoke with Skubal. “Awesome human being, awesome player, one of the best pitchers in the world. And we kind of all understand the situation that he’s in, and whatever decision he was going to make, we fully have his back.

“Like Mark said, we were thankful that he even showed up to pitch a single inning for us. We know where his heart is. We know how tough a decision it is to make.” 

Skubal said the experience of pitching in the WBC blew his expectations out of the water. In a week’s time, he felt like he had already been playing with his U.S. teammates for months, which added to the difficulty of the choice. 

He plans to rejoin his U.S. teammates in Miami if they make it through to the semifinals and finals. 

But only to watch. 

“I think the only way I’ll be at peace with it is in Miami celebrating after we win the whole f***ing thing,” Skubal said Monday afternoon before USA’s pool play game with Mexico. “That’ll give me some peace. But, yeah, I don’t know. It’s kind of a tough situation. It’s hard. It’s really hard. I’ve been trying to make it work. I promise I have. I love America. I love our country. I love everything that this tournament’s about. And like I said, I’ll be the first to sign up for the ‘28 Olympics if they want to have me and we figure out the timing of it. If this tournament can be at a little bit better time to give starting pitchers a chance to kind of go out there and be who I am, yeah, I would love to do that.”
 

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Three teams have qualified for the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. And we are getting ready for a blockbuster clasah between Team USA and Mexico.

Taking in all the action from Monday’s full slate of games:

JUMP TO: Korea Advances, Ousts Aussies | Tatis Grand Slam in D.R. Win | Great Britain Takes Down Brazil | Colombia Outlasts Panama

Korea Heads to Quarterfinals

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Congrats to Korea! The first team into quarterfinals is in. 

The team is moving past the first round for the first time since 2009 by beating Australia at the Tokyo Dome behind four RBIs from Bo Gyeong Moon, who leads the tournament with 11.

Australia would have advanced with a win or a loss by four runs or fewer, but instead will be exiting the tournament in tough fashion. The Aussies got one player on base in the ninth but could bring him home, with pinch-hitter Logan Wade popping up to Moon for the final out. 

D.R. With Another Romp, Into Quarterfinals

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Fernando Tatis had a day. With a grand slam and six RBIs, the Padres’ superstar has the Dominican Republic into the quarterfinals after a 10-1 win over Israel.

Tatis’ six RBIs tied Adrian González in 2009 for second-most in a WBC game, one behind Ken Griffey Jr.’s record in 2006.

The Dominicans (3-0) lead Group D over Venezuela (2-0), which also clinched a quarterfinal berth due to the Dominicans’ win.

Great Britain Ends on High Note

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With pride at stake between two already-eliminated teams, Great Britain notched a win over Brazil at the World Baseball Classic. 

Ian Lewis Jr. homered with two RBIs and Jazz Chisholm Jr. added two hits with three RBIs to lead Britain in a one-hitter. Brazil will finish the tournament at 0-4. 

Team GB’s Matt Koperniak hit a run-scoring single in the seventh off 17-year-old Joseph Contreras — a son of former major league pitcher José Contreras — and Chisholm added a two-run single in the eighth.

Colombia Gets First Win

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Reynaldo Rodriguez hit a two-run single in a four-run sixth inning for already-eliminated Colombia and and ensured Panama cannot advance from Group A.

Panama’s Jonathan Arauz exchanged shouts and pushes with manager José Mayorga when the pinch hitter returned to the dugout after grounding out leading off the ninth. Araúz had not run hard out of the batter’s box.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

HOUSTON – It’s not only the ending of the 2023 World Baseball Classic that still lingers with USA manager Mark DeRosa three years later.

In the last tournament, Team USA finished as the runner-up in its pool after getting crushed 11-5 in an upset loss to Mexico, which holds the all-time WBC advantage between the teams. In fact, the United States hasn’t beaten Mexico in the WBC since pool play in 2006. 

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That will be on DeRosa’s mind — and the minds of all the holdovers from the 2023 USA squad — when the two countries meet again Monday night in the game everyone has been waiting for in Pool B.  

“The U.S. has had their hands full with them in this tournament the last couple of installments of it,” DeRosa said. “I certainly haven’t forgotten about it.”

In 2023, Mexico and the U.S. finished as the winner and runner-up, respectively, of Pool C in Phoenix. The teams nearly met again in the final. Mexico held a one-run lead on Team Japan in the ninth inning of their semifinal game, but a walk-off double from Munetaka Murakami allowed Japan to advance to face the U.S., where Japan emerged victorious after Shohei Ohtani struck out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout in an enthralling finish to the tournament. 

There will be plenty on the line again on Monday night in Houston, not only because the winner of the bout between Team USA and Mexico will be in a strong position to win the pool, but also because the loser will have to beat Italy in its final game to have a chance to advance to the quarterfinals. USA, Mexico and Italy have each started Pool B with two wins, while Great Britain and Brazil have gone winless through three games. 

The U.S. and Mexico are the favorites in the pool. Both teams are oozing with MLB talent.

Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal started USA’s last game against Great Britain. Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes will start this one against Mexico’s Manny Barreda. AL MVP Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber, who led the NL with 56 home runs last season, have already homered in the tournament. For Mexico, Jonathan Aranda, Alejandro Kirk, Jarren Duran, Nacho Alvarez and Alek Thomas have all already gone deep. Mexico has plated 24 runs through its first two games. 

Team Mexico manager Benji Gil described the upcoming matchup as “one of the most anticipated baseball events of the year.” 

“At the end of the day, it’s become a rivalry when maybe it should never have been a rivalry,” said Gil, leaning into Mexico’s underdog status. “Maybe their rival should be Japan, Dominican [Republic], Puerto Rico, but it’s become a rivalry because we’ve had success.”

In Mexico’s onslaught against the U.S. in 2023, Joey Meneses broke the game open with his second of two home runs in front of 47,534 fans at Chase Field. Meneses, who is on Team Mexico again this year but has only logged one at-bat through the first two games, knocked in five runs and had three of Mexico’s 15 hits in that offensive barrage. 

A similarly electric environment awaits the two teams Monday at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros, where the two countries will meet again in a highly-anticipated clash of 2-0 teams.

“It’s going to be lit,” Thomas said. 

Mexico also beat Team USA in the first round in 2013 and eliminated the U.S. in the 2006 tournament. This time, though, the U.S. has sent its most decorated pitching staff and roster ever to the competition. And it will have the reigning N.L. Cy Young Award winner on the mound to try to avenge the 2023 loss. 

If the end result ends up the same again for Mexico, Gil won’t care how decisively his team wins. 

“We know they’re great,” Gil said. “I mean, they’re great. They’re a great team. But we’re just going to try to be just a tiny bit better. Even if we win by half a run, we’ll take it.” 

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

The reigning champions held off a potential spoiler, a tournament favorite sent a statement, and an upstart team in Houston continued its strong start.

The World Baseball Classic action started in Tokyo on Sunday morning, when Stuart Fairchild continued making a big name for himself for Chinese Taipei. 

JUMP TO: Chinese Taipei vs. Korea | Australia vs. Japan | Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands | Colombia vs. Cuba | Great Britain vs. Italy

 Stuart Fairchild Becomes a WBC Star

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Fairchild homered again before Chinese Taipei pulled off a win in extra innings against Korea.

Chinese Taipei was down 3-2 entering the eighth, when Fairchild hit a two-run home run to take the lead. Do Yeong Kim answered for the Koreans in the bottom half of the frame with an RBI double, though, and the game went to extras. Kun-Yu Chiang delivered a sacrifice bunt that scored the decisive run.

Fairchild, whose mother is from Taiwan, hit a grand slam in Chinese Taipei’s 14-0 win over Czechia on Saturday morning. Through four games, he’s 5-for-16 with two home runs and six RBIs with a 1.188 OPS.

 Australia Can’t Take Down Japan

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After two wins to start Pool C play, Australia had a real opportunity to shake up the WBC. The Aussies even had a lead after opening the scoring in the sixth inning.

Japan scored twice in the seventh and eighth innings, though, with Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida getting his team on the board with a two-run home run.

The big story was 30-year-old right-hander Connor MacDonald, who threw three scoreless innings with his brother in the crowd. It was an emotional outing on the biggest stage of MacDonald’s career. He has never played professionally outside of Australia.

 Dominicans Dominate Netherlands

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It only took the Dominican Republic seven innings for that squad of stars to beat the Netherlands, and the game ended with a two-run home run by Juan Soto.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Junior Caminero each had three RBIs, while every starting Dominican hitter scored at least one run. Luis Severino did the work on the mound with four innings of one-run ball.

The Dominican Republic improved to 2-0 in pool and will face Israel on Monday and then Venezuela in what will be one of the most anticipated matchups of the tournament.

 Cuba Stays Unbeaten

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Colombia’s WBC hopes are over after it dropped to 0-3 after a 7-4 loss to Cuba, which is 2-0.

Right-hander Luis Patiño only lasted one-third of an inning, allowed four runs on two hits, both of which were home runs. Ariel Martinez and Erisbel Arruebarrena hit the long balls for Cuba.

Next up for Cuba is a huge matchup of 2-0 teams against Puerto Rico on Monday night in San Juan.

 Expresso Shots! Italy Improves To 2-0

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Team USA has a huge matchup against Mexico on Monday night, but Italy is not going to go down without a fight. The Italians are 2-0 after a 7-4 win over Great Britain on Sunday afternoon in Houston.

Great Britain opened the scoring with a two-run top of the first inning, but Italy answered with seven runs between the third, fourth and fifth innings. Andrew Fischer, the Brewers’ 2025 first-round pick, and J.J. D’Orazio hit back-to-back jacks in the third to spark the Italian offense – and get its espresso machine going.

Italy is off on Monday before it faces the United States on Tuesday and then Mexico on Wednesday.

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Defending champion Japan became the first nation to clinch a quarterfinal berth in the World Baseball Classic, then rallied on Masataka Yoshida‘s two-run homer in the seventh inning to beat Australia 4-3 on Sunday night and assure first place in its first-round group.

Japan clinched advancement earlier Sunday when South Korea lost to Taiwan 5-4 in 10 innings. Japan’s win clinched first place in Group C for Shohei Ohtani and the Samurai Warriors (3-0).

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After completing the group Tuesday with a game against the Czech Republic (0-3), Japan will travel to Miami for a quarterfinal on March 14. Australia can clinch a quarterfinal spot by beating South Korea (1-2) on Monday.

Japan starter Tomoyuki Sugano pitched four scoreless innings of four-hit ball, and Australia (2-1) went ahead with an unearned run in the sixth against winner Chihiro Sumida. Aaron Whitefield doubled, stole third and came home on catcher Kenya Wakatsuki’s throwing error.

Japan had loaded the bases in the fourth when, with Ohtani at the plate, Shugo Maki was picked off second by catcher Robbie Perkins.

Ohtani walked on four pitches from loser Jon Kennedy leading off the seventh, one of 12 walks by Australia pitchers, and Yoshida pulled a low slider into the right-center field seats for a 2-1 lead. Yoshida has 19 RBIs in WBC play, third behind a pair of Cubans, Frederich Cepeda (23) and Alfredo Despaigne (21).

Teruaki Sato added an RBI in the eighth against Ky Hampton, who forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Seiya Suzuki for a 4-1 lead.

Alex Hall and Rixon Wingrove hit ninth-inning homers off Taisei Ota, who retired Robbie Perkins on a game-ending groundout for his second save.

Chinese Taipei beats Korea 5-4 in 10 innings

Kun-Yu Chiang bunted home Chieh-Hsien Chen with the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th for Chinese Taipei, which completed the group at 2-2.

Korea’s Ju Won Kim was thrown out at the plate in the bottom half on Hyeseong Kim’s grounder, with first baseman Nien-Ting Wu throwing to catcher Shao-Hung Chiang. Jyun-Yue Tseng retired Do Yeong Kim on a flyout for the save.

Yu Chang and Tsung-Che Chen had solo homers for Chinese Taipei and Stuart Fairchild hit a two-run drive for a 4-3 lead in the eighth, his second home run of the tournament after a grand slam against Czechia.

“That was one of the most fun games I’ve ever played in my life,” said Fairchild, an outfielder in the Cleveland organization whose mother is from Taiwan.

Do Yeong Kim hit an RBI double in the bottom half that drove in Hyeseong Kim.

Winner Yi Chang got the final out of the ninth. Woo-Suk-Go took the loss.

Reporting by The Associated Press. 

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Defending champion Japan became the first nation to clinch a quarterfinal berth in the World Baseball Classic, then rallied on Masataka Yoshida‘s two-run homer in the seventh inning to beat Australia 4-3 on Sunday night and assure first place in its first-round group.

Japan clinched advancement earlier Sunday when South Korea lost to Taiwan 5-4 in 10 innings. Japan’s win clinched first place in Group C for Shohei Ohtani and the Samurai Warriors (3-0).

After completing the group Tuesday with a game against the Czech Republic (0-3), Japan will travel to Miami for a quarterfinal on March 14. Australia can clinch a quarterfinal spot by beating South Korea (1-2) on Monday.

Japan starter Tomoyuki Sugano pitched four scoreless innings of four-hit ball, and Australia (2-1) went ahead with an unearned run in the sixth against winner Chihiro Sumida. Aaron Whitefield doubled, stole third and came home on catcher Kenya Wakatsuki’s throwing error.

Japan had loaded the bases in the fourth when, with Ohtani at the plate, Shugo Maki was picked off second by catcher Robbie Perkins.

Ohtani walked on four pitches from loser Jon Kennedy leading off the seventh, one of 12 walks by Australia pitchers, and Yoshida pulled a low slider into the right-center field seats for a 2-1 lead. Yoshida has 19 RBIs in WBC play, third behind a pair of Cubans, Frederich Cepeda (23) and Alfredo Despaigne (21).

Teruaki Sato added an RBI in the eighth against Ky Hampton, who forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Seiya Suzuki for a 4-1 lead.

Alex Hall and Rixon Wingrove hit ninth-inning homers off Taisei Ota, who retired Robbie Perkins on a game-ending groundout for his second save.

Taiwan beats South Korea 5-4 in 10 innings

Kun-Yu Chiang bunted home Chieh-Hsien Chen with the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th for Taiwan, which completed the group at 2-2.

South Korea’s Ju Won Kim was thrown out at the plate in the bottom half on Hyeseong Kim’s grounder, with first baseman Nien-Ting Wu throwing to catcher Shao-Hung Chiang. Jyun-Yue Tseng retired Do Yeong Kim on a flyout for the save.

Yu Chang and Tsung-Che Chen had solo homers for Taiwan and Stuart Fairchild hit a two-run drive for a 4-3 lead in the eighth, his second home run of the tournament after a grand slam against the Czech Republic.

“That was one of the most fun games I’ve ever played in my life,” said Fairchild, an outfielder in the Cleveland organization whose mother is from Taiwan.

Do Yeong Kim hit an RBI double in the bottom half that drove in Hyeseong Kim.

Winner Yi Chang got the final out of the ninth. Woo-Suk-Go took the loss.

Reporting by The Associated Press. 

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Can Team USA and its star-studded lineup and rotation win it all at the 2026 World Baseball Classic?  

Two games, two wins so far for the USA after beating Brazil and then dominating Great Britain. It continues with Monday’s Pool B game against Mexico at Daiken Park, home of MLB‘s Houston Astros. 

The game will be Monday, March 9 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. 

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How to Watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic

FOX is your exclusive home to the WBC with games spread across the FOX family of networks. 

FOX is set to air seven games, including three Pool B games featuring Team USA, two quarterfinals games and the World Baseball Classic Championship Game on Tuesday, March 17 from Miami’s loanDepot Park. The remaining matchups will air across FS1, FS2, the FOX Sports app, FOX One and Tubi. All 47 games will be available for streaming. Catch the action on the following streaming options:

[–>
• FOXSports.com and FOX Sports app
• FOX One
• Tubi

Team USA Starting Pitcher vs. Mexico

National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes versus Mexico on Monday. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace will be making his debut appearance at the WBC and is expected to take the mound twice during the tournament.

New York Mets right-hander Nolan McLean is tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday in the final pool-play game against Italy, even though he’s dealing with an illness.

Team USA Starting Lineup vs. Mexico

Expect a potent lineup for Team USA, one that includes three-time AL MVP and Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge and a pair of Phillies superstars in first baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. So far in the tournament, Judge and Schwarber have one homer each. Schwarber and Orioles star second baseman Gunnar Henderson have four hits each to lead Team USA.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports