USA in Jeopardy at World Baseball Classic Following Italy’s 8-6 Upset
Italy stunned the United States with an 8-6 victory on Tuesday night in the World Baseball Classic, held at Houston’s Daikin Park. This unexpected outcome has left the US team in a precarious position as they conclude pool play.
Italy’s Strong Performance
Kyle Teel, Sam Antonacci, and Jac Caglianone each hit home runs, helping Italy establish a commanding lead. Italy’s starting pitcher, Michael Lorenzen, delivered an impressive performance, allowing only two hits over four and two-thirds scoreless innings, effectively keeping the American hitters off balance.
Despite the setback, the US showed resilience. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs and drove in four runs, while Gunnar Henderson contributed a solo shot. However, the late-game rally fell short when Greg Weissert struck out Aaron Judge with a runner on base, sealing Italy’s victory.
US Team’s Uncertain Future
With this loss, the US team has completed its pool play and now relies on Italy to defeat Mexico in their upcoming match to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. If Mexico wins, the three teams—Italy, Mexico, and the US—will all finish with a 3-1 record, leading to a tiebreaker scenario. The team that has allowed the most runs will be eliminated. The US has given up 17 runs in their four group games, while Italy and Mexico have allowed 10 and 7 runs, respectively.
USA manager Mark DeRosa appeared to misinterpret the situation prior to the game, stating that the team was already assured a place in the quarter-finals. After the game, he admitted to misreading the calculations, clarifying that he had misunderstood the implications of the loss.
Key Moments in the Game
Italy took an early lead when Teel hit a home run to the Crawford boxes in left field during the third inning. Caglianone followed with a hit-by-pitch, and Antonacci’s homer to the bullpen in right-center extended the lead to 3-0. Caglianone’s two-run shot in the fourth pushed the score to 5-0.
The Italians capitalized on a series of errors and wild pitches in the sixth inning to increase their lead to 8-0. The US finally got on the board with Henderson’s homer in the sixth, but the damage had been done.
Crow-Armstrong’s three-run homer in the seventh inning brought the US closer, but it was not enough to overcome Italy’s lead.
Japan Completes Unbeaten Group Stage
In another match, defending champions Japan finished their group stage undefeated, defeating the Czech Republic 9-0 at the Tokyo Dome. A nine-run eighth inning, highlighted by Munetaka Murakami’s grand slam, secured the victory. Japan outscored their opponents 39-9 during the group stage and will advance to the quarter-finals against either Venezuela or the Dominican Republic.
Japan rested star player Shohei Ohtani, who has been performing exceptionally well in the tournament. The Czech Republic, on the other hand, finished with a 0-4 record, struggling throughout the competition.
Israel Defeats Netherlands
In a Group D matchup, Israel triumphed over the Netherlands, with Jake Gelof driving in three runs and Matt Mervis contributing two doubles. The Netherlands initially took the lead, but Israel responded with a five-run sixth inning, capitalizing on defensive errors.
Canada Edges Out Puerto Rico
Canada secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Puerto Rico, thanks to consecutive bases-loaded walks in the third inning. This win keeps Canada in contention to advance from Group A. Puerto Rico had already clinched a quarter-final spot prior to this match.
As the tournament progresses, the stakes continue to rise, with teams vying for positions in the knockout stages.
Follow the latest developments and breaking updates in the Latest News section.
Published on 2026-03-11 16:34:00 • By Editorial Desk
