HOUSTON — Team USA is out of pool play at the World Baseball Classic and will face Canada in the quarterfinals on Friday, averting a disastrous upset over Italy. win 9-1 Wednesday night against Mexico.
Americans defeat Italy On Tuesday, a surprise 8–6 defeat left their WBC fortunes dependent on the outcome of Pool B’s final game. Italy’s victory guaranteed Team USA a spot in the knockout round, and the Italians obliged, leading the captain to the first three-home run game in WBC history. vinny pasquantino And five shutout innings with an ace. Aaron Nola.
“Welcome, USA,” Pasquantino said in an on-field interview with Fox Sports after the game. “We were thinking about you guys at your hotel. We were thinking about you guys, so I’m glad you guys could join us for the party.”
In front of a decidedly pro-Mexico crowd of 39,894 at Daikin Park, Italy continued their immaculate run at the tournament and set up a date with Puerto Rico here on Saturday night for a place in the semi-finals.
Composed of young, talented Italian Americans – most in the big leagues, some top prospects in the upper minors – Italy attacked Mexico with Pasquantino’s second-inning solo home run, the veteran’s fourth-inning shot. john bertie And a three-run fifth inning that almost guaranteed Team USA’s advance.
In the case of a three-way tie, the two teams who had scored the fewest runs would advance – and Italy would have scored five runs in the first five innings, meaning the game would need to run well into extra innings to bring the run ratio of both teams below that of the US.
Pasquantino, The kansas city royals‘The snub of the first baseman and one of the main recruiters of the Italian team made it controversial. Entering the game without 12 at-bats, he homered again in the sixth inning and blasted his third shot of the game over the right field fence in the eighth to cut Italy’s lead to 8–1. Pasquantino has never hit three home runs in a major league game.
Italy scored another run and celebrated as Team USA breathed a sigh of relief, still alive in a tournament it entered with more talent than its previous WBC incarnations. Americans are expected to start san francisco giants right handed batsman logan webb in the quarterfinals, and Canada plans to compete Arizona Diamondbacks right handed batsman Michael Soroka.
Canada secured their place in the quarter-finals with consecutive wins against Puerto Rico and Cuba and topped Pool A.
