First pitch: 3 storylines from Team USA’s stunning World Baseball Classic defeat to Mexico

USA-Mexico World Baseball Classic storyline: Should a pitching move had been made?

The second home run of the night off the bat off Meneses came with two outs in the fourth inning as Team USA’s Brady Singer was just starting his outing of relief work.

But should Singer have been facing Meneses in that situation? He was in the initial stages of what would become a 53-pitch outing over two innings and the wheels began to come off with two outs in the frame. Singer struck out a pair of batters around an Alek Thomas single and will pitch, but seemed to struggle locating his pitches from there, with Mexico’s next three batters logging an RBI double, walk, and Meneses capping the onslaught with his blast to left field.

Team USA did not have any relievers warming as Singer was struggling, so there were no options to pull him before the Meneses blast. Singer stayed in one more frame, giving up a single in the fifth before Adam Ottavino came into the game to start the sixth. However, by then, the damage was done. In all, Singer allowed four runs on four hits in his two innings, but they were the two innings where the momentum really turned in Mexico’s favor.

Certainly it’s a long tournament and Team USA still has two more games left in Pool C play, but manager Mark DeRosa not having a quick hook and pulling Singer in favor of a reliever will be a decision that he likely regrets.