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.
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.
“It was an unbelievable environment,” Anthony said. “For me at least, it’s the loudest game I’ve been a part of. Just amazing to get baseball like that this early in the year, and always great when you win. So, the vibes are great.”
Here are my takeaways:
1. USA’s Former Air Force Players Do Their Country Proud
(Photo by Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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.
United States vs. Mexico Highlights ⚾️ World Baseball Classic on FOX
“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 It Going With Both His Arm and His Bat
(Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images)
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 in his teammates’ direction. Clearly, Judge is all in on this tournament, which he’s participating in for the first time.
Also playing in the WBC for the first time is 21-year-old Roman Anthony, who made his MLB debut last season. Three years ago, he attended the championship game of the WBC in Miami just to experience the atmosphere as a fan. On Monday, four batters after Judge’s home run, he hit a three-run shot to break the game open.
“I can tell you that being on the field is a whole lot better,” Anthony said.
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. The 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.
“I hope we play the U.S. again,” said Mexico manager Benji Gil. “That would be awesome. I would be ecstatic to face them again.”
3. Jarren Duran Doesn’t Let Mexico Go Down Quietly
(Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images)
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, and 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 and leading all players in the WBC with three home runs.
“Superstar,” Gil said, “in every sense of the word.”
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.
“We were one swing away from tying the game,” Gil said. “If you want to go really in depth, we shut them out for seven innings… And you change one pitch, right, you change one pitch, we’re going into the ninth inning up 3-2.”
4 ½. What’s Next?
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 a chance to advance.
