The United States and its dream team just kept rolling Monday night as they powered their way to a tighter-than-expected 5-3 win over Mexico to improve to 3-0 in Pool B play. The victory marked the first time the USA beat Mexico in the World Baseball Classic since 2006.
Reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes took the mound for the Americans in his World Baseball Classic debut and pitched four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and just one walk as the only blemish on his record. Skenes, a graduate of LSU, played his first season of college baseball at the Air Force Academy before moving to Louisiana to become one of the most dominant pitchers in college baseball.
He marks one of the greatest improvements to this year’s USA WBC roster alongside his fellow starters Logan Webb, Nolan McLean, and Tarik Skubal.
In Houston, the number of passionate Mexican fans at Daikin Park nearly outnumbered the Americans in a matchup that could have felt like a road game on home turf for Team USA. Another new addition, the captain, Aaron Judge, left the crowd of 41,628 stunned, as he launched a home run to the opposite field to drive in Bryce Harper and put the USA ahead in the third.
Judge also showed off his arm at the top of the inning with a laser from short right field to gun down Joey Ortiz, who tried to stretch from first to third on a single.
“It’s playoff baseball in March. That’s what it’s all about,” said Judge in the postgame.
Judge already has two home runs in the tournament and carries along leadership and consistency to fill the void that former captain Mike Trout left behind. The United States piled on more in the third as Kyle Schwarber singled, and Cal Raleigh was hit by a pitch, setting up two base runners for Roman Anthony.
Anthony, one of the best young stars in baseball, who is an elite outfielder for the Red Sox, hit a towering 417-foot home run to right field off Jesús Cruz to tack on three more for the US, and put the Americans ahead 5-0.
The next scoring did not come until the sixth as Mexico’s star outfielder Jarren Duran of the Red Sox punched a home run out to left-center field to get the first run on the board for the Mexicans. Matthew Boyd was on the mound for the Americans at the time, and his night only got worse as a bad bounce on pinch-hitter Joey Meneses’ tapper to short allowed Jonathan Aranda to score the second run for Mexico.
Duran, whose father is Mexican, has powered the team through the tournament thus far, batting .500 with three home runs, the third of which came in the eighth inning of Monday night’s contest.
“I represent my dad’s last name on my jersey every time I play, but being able to represent where he’s from and the hard work that he’s come over here and where his nature’s from as being a Mexican, it’s one of the greatest honors I’ve been able to do for him,” said Duran of the opportunity to play in the WBC once again for Mexico as his first was in 2023. “It means a lot to me.”
With his second home run, Duran, lifting the team up on defense as well, put Mexico within two runs, but the closing duo of Griffin Jax and Garrett Whitlock was enough to end Mexico’s comeback attempt despite getting a baserunner on to open the ninth.
Team USA went 1-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base, numbers that both need to be improved if there should be a chance for America to progress deep in the tournament. They will face 2-0 Italy Tuesday night to decide the high seed in Pool B, as well as who will qualify for the quarterfinal round.
Mexico has one Pool B game remaining against Italy on Wednesday, but their push back into Monday’s game far improves their chances at the elimination bracket due to the run differential tie breaker in the WBC.
“That would be awesome, I would be ecstatic to face them again,” said Mexico’s manager Beni Gil on a potential rematch with the United States, “For one, it’s probably the championship, right? The championship is in Miami. In fact, you know what? I want to face them more than I want anything else in the world…
To face them again in Miami, I think that we’ll end up 1-1 against the US this tournament and Mexico won’t lose again until three years from now.”
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