Daikin Park (Houston) — One more win on Tuesday night would seal Pool B for the United States and send the team through to the quarterfinals, but it won’t come easy.
And after holding on late Monday night to beat Mexico for the first time since 2006 and remain undefeated, Team USA won’t be taking unbeaten Italy lightly.
“With Mexico playing Italy the day after us, we will approach it like it’s a must-win game,” said USA manager Mark DeRosa following the 5-3 win at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros.
USA’s win on Monday avenged its 2023 pool-play loss to Mexico and put the host nation in a strong position to win Pool B. Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony, whose three-run home run turned out to be the difference in the win, described the environment as the loudest game he has ever been a part of.
“Just amazing to get baseball like that this early in the year,” Anthony said. “And always great when you win. So, the vibes are great.”
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But with the U.S. at 3-0, Italy at 2-0, Mexico at 2-1, nothing is determined yet. The two teams in the pool with the highest winning percentage will advance to the quarterfinals.
If two or more teams have the same winning percentage, the first tiebreaker will be head-to-head record. (The team that won the most games between the tied teams will get the higher position.)
After that, it gets a bit more complicated, coming down first to the lowest quotient of fewest runs allowed divided by the number of defensive outs recorded in the games between the tied teams. The next tiebreakers are fewest earned runs allowed between the tied teams, then highest batting average and finally the drawing of lots. (Let’s hope it doesn’t get that far.)
Team USA can avoid any of those scenarios by beating Italy on Tuesday night, when 24-year-old Nolan McLean will make his tournament debut for Team USA against Rockies pitcher Michael Lorenzen for Italy.
Michael Lorenzen takes the mound for Italy against the USA. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images)
If that happens, the winner of the game between Italy and Mexico on Wednesday will determine which team advances as the runner-up in the pool. That game will likely feature MLB pitchers Aaron Nola for Italy starting against Javier Assad for Mexico.
Italy’s lineup features a number of MLB players, including Royals hitters Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone, White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee and Mariners outfielder Dominic Canzone, who hit a three-run home run in a shutout win against Brazil.
Through two games, Italy’s supporting cast has helped lift the offense. Dante Nori, a 2024 first-round pick of the Phillies, is 5-for-7 with three extra-base hits. MLB veteran Jon Berti is 3-for-5 this tournament, while Andrew Fischer, a 2025 first-round pick of the Brewers, and Angels minor leaguer J.J. D’Orazio have also hit home runs.
“All these teams are good in this tournament,” said Italy infielder Miles Mastrobuoni. “It’s not just [the U.S.]. However it is going to be enjoyable to go in opposition to these boys, and you bought some guys that you simply play on the identical crew as, so it is going to be enjoyable to compete in opposition to them. We’ll give them every part we have, for positive.”
Mexico hopes for an additional crack at USA
Regardless of Mexico’s loss on Monday, supervisor Benji Gil was happy with the way in which his crew battled again from a 5-0 deficit.
“If I had one phrase to make use of, I might say admirable, the way in which they simply stored plugging away… dealing with, as all people has thought-about, proper, an excellent crew, and but they battled and battled and battled, and we had been one swing away from tying the sport,” Gil mentioned.
Mexico got here again to place the tying run on the plate with no outs within the ninth inning earlier than falling quick.
“If you wish to go actually in depth, we shut them out for seven innings,” Gil continued. “We shut them out for seven innings. And you modify one pitch, proper, you modify one pitch, we’re going into the ninth inning up 3-2.”
Mexico’s Jarren Duran hits his second homer of sport, trimming deficit in opposition to United States
Mexico had gained the earlier three WBC conferences in opposition to the U.S. courting again to 2006.
Three years in the past, Mexico upset the U.S. in pool play, however each groups superior to the quarterfinals. They almost met once more within the finals, as Mexico held a 5-4 lead on Japan within the ninth inning of their semifinal sport, however a walk-off from Munetaka Murakami despatched Japan by means of.
This time, Gil is hoping his crew will get one other crack at dealing with USA and believes the end result can be completely different. He’ll want a win in opposition to Italy to dream of that situation.
“You understand what, I need to face them greater than I would like the rest on the planet, how is that?” Gil mentioned. “Until, I do not know what the lottery is at proper now, but when the lottery is correct round $800 million, yeah, I will win the lottery and cheer all people from afar. However exterior of that, I want that greater than something on the planet, to face them once more in Miami. I believe that we’ll find yourself 1-1 in opposition to the U.S. this match. And Mexico will not lose once more till three years from now.”
