Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes power Team USA over Mexico to secure spot in World Baseball Classic quarterfinal

After 3 consecutive wins to statesman the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), Team USA earned a spot retired of Pool B, advancing to the quarterfinal circular aft defeating Mexico, 5-3, successful Houston connected Monday night. 

Mexico has been the victor successful each of the past 3 matchups against the U.S., including the 2023 crippled that ended with El Tri taking down the Stars and Stripes, 11-5. 

But acknowledgment to immoderate bat powerfulness from skipper Aaron Judge and 21-year-old Boston Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony, Team USA was capable to extremity that streak astatine Daikin Park. 

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Aaron Judge of the United States reacts to hitting a location tally successful the 3rd inning during a World Baseball Classic Pool B crippled betwixt Mexico and the United States astatine Daikin Park connected March 9, 2026, successful Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

After the U.S. was incapable to currency successful connected bases loaded successful the archetypal and runners connected successful the second, Judge wasted nary clip hitting his 2nd location tally of the tournament, taking Jesus Cruz to close tract for a 2-0 lead. 

Then, aft Kyle Schwarber singled to right, and Cal Raleigh was deed by a pitch, Anthony didn’t miss a stitch of a transportation inside. The towering moonshot took everlastingly to land, and Anthony, who was gunned down astatine the sheet successful the bottommost of the 2nd inning, got immoderate redemption by breaking the crippled open. 

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The code was surely acceptable by Paul Skenes, who got his archetypal Team USA commencement successful the WBC and was lights out. He allowed conscionable 1 deed and struck retired 7 hitters implicit 4 innings (60 pitches). 

Skenes’ repertoire was electrical arsenic per usual, with crisp breaking sinkers and changeups to spell on with a high-90 mph fastball. The erstwhile Air Force Academy pitcher has looked guardant to this infinitesimal for a while, and helium didn’t squander the accidental to assistance his team.  

Paul Skenes of the United States reacts successful the archetypal inning during a World Baseball Classic Pool B crippled betwixt Mexico and the United States astatine Daikin Park connected March 9, 2026 successful Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

After the five-run inning, the U.S. bats went a spot silent, which allowed Mexico a accidental to summation momentum. 

It was Anthony’s Red Sox teammate, Jarren Duran, who got El Tri connected the committee with a solo location tally disconnected Matthew Boys, the Chicago Cubs’ ace. 

And that wouldn’t beryllium Duran’s lone large fly, arsenic helium was intelligibly seeing the shot good successful Houston. After Joey Meneses’ infield azygous scored Jonathan Aranda aboriginal successful the apical of the sixth inning to marque it a 5-2 game, Duran led disconnected the apical of the eighth inning with a 374-foot changeable to close tract disconnected Boyd again.  

Griffin Jax was called upon by manager Mark DeRosa to cleanable up the frame, and Garrett Whitlock unopen the doorway successful the ninth inning to unafraid the victory. 

With a 3-0 record, the U.S. doesn't person a do-or-die concern successful their last excavation play contention against Italy connected Tuesday night. Of course, they would emotion to spell undefeated and transportation momentum into games that volition lucifer a Game 7 successful the postseason each clip moving forward. 

Aaron Judge of the United States hits a location tally successful the 3rd inning during a World Baseball Classic Pool B crippled betwixt Mexico and the United States astatine Daikin Park connected March 9, 2026 successful Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

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Team USA and Italy volition quadrate disconnected astatine Daikin Park connected Tuesday nighttime astatine 8 p.m. ET.

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