Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Team USA advanced to the WBC semifinals with a tense 5-3 win over Canada, fueled by clutch small-ball tactics and a dominant late-inning performance.
- Their next challenge is a formidable opponent that defeated Korea 10-0, allowing them to conserve pitchers for the high-stakes matchup.
- A victory would set up a potential final against Japan, echoing last year's dramatic championship clash featuring two MLB superstars.
Team USA is going to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic and now stand just two wins away from winning it all. Friday night's win over Canada, 5-3, put the Americans through thanks to small-ball scoring and a killer closer performance from Mason Miller.
Kyle Scharber drove in Bobby Witt Jr. in the first inning to put Team USA on top, then Alex Bregman, Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong each notched an RBI. The U.S. enjoyed a 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. That's when the Canadians fought back. Tyler Black's RBI single and a two-run homer from Bo Naylor pulled them back within two runs.
It was nervy in the eighth inning with Canadian runners on second and third with no outs. David Bednar heroically got out of the inning by getting Josh Naylor out, then striking out Tyler O'Neill and Owen Caissie. Of course, the anxiety remained in the bottom of the ninth when Miller took the mound. He's an elite closer for a reason and he showed it, dotting the corners to punch out Jared Young, Edouard Julien and Otto Lopez in short order.
Who does Team USA play next in the World Baseball Classic?
Team USA will take on the Dominican Republic in Miami on March 15 for the semifinals of the WBC. The Dominicans routed Korea in a 10-0 game that ended via mercy rule. That could be significant for the matchup considering the DR only needed to use two pitchers. The Americans used six.
The Dominican Republic won Pool D, going 4-0 against runner-up Venezuela (who faces Japan on Saturday), Israel, the Netherlands and Nicaragua.
Updated World Baseball Classic bracket: Semifinal matchups
- Team USA vs. Domincan Republic — March 15 (Miami)
- Puerto Rico/Italy vs. Venezuela/Japan — March 16 (Miami)
The WBC final will be played on March 17 in Miami. While we already know one of the U.S. or the DR will be in the final, Saturday's matchups between Puerto Rico and Italy and Venezuela and Japan will settle the other side of the bracket.
Italy won Pool B setting up a matchup with Pool A runner-up Puerto Rico. Japan won Pool C getting Pool D runner-up Venezuela as a result.
Team USA's path to the WBC Championship
Having gotten through Canada, Team USA needs to best the Dominican Republic to set up a rematch with reigning WBC champs Japan in the WBC Final.
The 2023 WBC finished in epic fashion with Japan's Shohei Ohtani and America's Mike Trout facing off for the final, decisive out of the game. Then Angels teammates, Ohtani and Trout dramatically dueled to a 3-2 count in a 3-2 game with two outs. Ohtani struck Trout out swinging to win it all. Every baseball fan on the planet (that isn't Venezuelan, Puerto Rican or Italian) is rooting for this matchup.
As much as there'd be temptation to look ahead, the DR is not one to overlook. Fernando Tatis leads all players with 11 RBI in the tournament thus far while Juan Soto, Valdimir Guerrero Jr. and Manny Machado are always lurking.
Should the U.S. make it past the DR, they could also face a rematch with the Italians. That one would have plenty of storylines considering their last meeting in the pool stage (a shocking Italy win) as well as the numerous Italian-American MLB players in the lineup.