Italy win over Mexico sends Team USA to WBC quarterfinals

Team USA tin respire a suspiration of relief, and they tin convey Team Italy, the squad that enactment their World Baseball Classic hopes successful limbo, aft their triumph implicit Team Mexico connected Tuesday night. 

With Italy’s 9-1 triumph astatine Daikin Park, they person won Pool B with a cleanable 4-0 grounds and earned a spot successful the WBC quarterfinals. 

But Italy besides ensured that Team USA’s tally successful the tourney continues contempt handing the star-studded radical a shocking 8-6 decision connected Monday night. 

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Vinnie Pasquantino of Italy hits a solo location tally successful the 6th inning against Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic - Pool B astatine Daikin Park connected March 11, 2026 successful Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

Team USA knew going into this crippled they would beryllium large fans of Italy, 1 of the much astonishing teams of the tourney frankincense far, but a thrill to watch. They person the amusive espresso location tally celebration, which has been utilized a ton including Tuesday night’s game, and a substance of veterans and apical prospects who person been giving their excavation fits connected the field. 

However, Vinnie Pasquantino, the team’s skipper who stars for the Kansas City Royals, came into this contention without a azygous deed done 3 games. Luckily for Italy – and indirectly the U.S. – his archetypal 3 hits of the tourney were quality makers. 

Pasquantino belted 3 solo location runs successful the win, marking the archetypal clip successful WBC past that a subordinate went gait 3 times successful a azygous game. 

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He got Team Italy connected the committee archetypal successful the apical of the second, hitting a 342-foot blast to close field. Then, successful the apical of the sixth inning, helium deed a towering changeable that stayed just down the close tract enactment to instrumentality a escaped travel astir the bases again. 

As helium stepped to the sheet successful the apical of the eighth inning, Pasquantino, already 2 espresso shots heavy aft his archetypal 2 longballs, got conscionable capable to get it implicit the right-field obstruction 1 past time. 

Jon Berti of the Italy reacts aft hitting a solo location tally successful the 4th inning against Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic - Pool B astatine Daikin Park connected March 11, 2026 successful Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

But, conscionable similar the different 3 games, determination wasn’t lone 1 Italy hitter showcasing his power. Jon Berti, who has had a large tourney frankincense far, made usage of the Crawford boxes successful near field, hitting 1 conscionable acold capable successful the apical of the 4th inning to widen Italy’s pb to 2-0. 

Meanwhile, Mexico couldn’t get the bats going against seasoned hurler Aaron Nola, the reliable Philadelphia Phillies starter who had his patented knuckle-curve moving successful Houston. He tossed 5 innings, allowing conscionable 4 hits portion striking retired 5 implicit 69 pitches. 

The crippled started to get distant from Mexico, too, successful the apical of the 5th inning, erstwhile nine-hitter Dante Nori dropped a cleanable sacrifice bunt that scored Pasquantino’s Royals teammate, Jac Caglianone, to marque it a 3-0 game. Then, Miami Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee came successful clutch with a two-out, bases-loaded azygous that scored 2 runners earlier helium was picked disconnected astatine archetypal basal to extremity the inning. 

With a 7-0 lead, Mexico, facing desperation, saw immoderate violative beingness successful the bottommost of the seventh with bases loaded and nary outs. But aft Alek Thomas’ groundout to first, and Rowdy Tellez hitting a liner close astatine Pasquantino for the 2nd out, Jarren Duran struck retired arsenic they were lone capable to get 1 tally retired of a perchance game-changing situation. 

Vinnie Pasquantino of Italy runs the bases aft hitting a location tally successful the sixth inning against Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic betwixt Italy and Mexico astatine Daikin Park connected March 11, 2026 successful Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

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Pasquantino's 3rd location tally flipped momentum close backmost to Team Italy, and they rode it into the last framework wherever they sealed victory. 

As Italy soars into the quarterfinals, Mexico is eliminated arsenic their players volition caput backmost to their respective large league camps to decorativeness retired outpouring training.

Team USA's quarterfinal matchup volition beryllium against Team Canada, the winners of Pool A, astatine 8 p.m. ET successful Daikin Park connected March 13. 

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