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After three straight wins to start the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), Group USA earned a spot out of Pool B, advancing to the quarterfinal spherical after defeating Mexico, 5-3, in Houston on Monday evening.
Mexico has been the victor in every of the final three matchups in opposition to the U.S., together with the 2023 sport that ended with El Tri taking down the Stars and Stripes, 11-5.
However due to some bat energy from captain Aaron Decide and 21-year-old Boston Crimson Sox phenom Roman Anthony, Group USA was in a position to finish that streak at Daikin Park.
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Aaron Decide of the USA reacts to hitting a house run within the third inning throughout a World Baseball Basic Pool B sport between Mexico and the USA at Daikin Park on March 9, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Photographs)
After the U.S. was unable to money in on bases loaded within the first and runners on within the second, Decide wasted no time hitting his second dwelling run of the match, taking Jesus Cruz to proper subject for a 2-0 lead.
Then, after Kyle Schwarber singled to proper, and Cal Raleigh was hit by a pitch, Anthony didn’t miss a sew of a pitch inside. The towering moonshot took perpetually to land, and Anthony, who was gunned down on the plate within the backside of the second inning, received some redemption by breaking the sport open.
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The tone was actually set by Paul Skenes, who received his first Group USA begin within the WBC and was lights out. He allowed only one hit and struck out seven hitters over 4 innings (60 pitches).
Skenes’ repertoire was electrical as per typical, with sharp breaking sinkers and changeups to go together with a high-90 mph fastball. The previous Air Power Academy pitcher has regarded ahead to this second for some time, and he didn’t squander the chance to assist his staff.
Paul Skenes of the USA reacts within the first inning throughout a World Baseball Basic Pool B sport between Mexico and the USA at Daikin Park on March 9, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Photographs)
After the five-run inning, the U.S. bats went a bit silent, which allowed Mexico an opportunity to realize momentum.
It was Anthony’s Crimson Sox teammate, Jarren Duran, who received El Tri on the board with a solo dwelling run off Matthew Boys, the Chicago Cubs’ ace.
And that wouldn’t be Duran’s solely large fly, as he was clearly seeing the ball properly in Houston. After Joey Meneses’ infield single scored Jonathan Aranda later within the prime of the sixth inning to make it a 5-2 sport, Duran led off the highest of the eighth inning with a 374-foot shot to proper subject off Boyd once more.
Griffin Jax was known as upon by supervisor Mark DeRosa to wash up the body, and Garrett Whitlock shut the door within the ninth inning to safe the victory.
With a 3-0 file, the U.S. does not have a do-or-die scenario of their closing pool play contest in opposition to Italy on Tuesday evening. After all, they might like to go undefeated and carry momentum into video games that may resemble a Sport 7 within the postseason every time transferring ahead.
Aaron Decide of the USA hits a house run within the third inning throughout a World Baseball Basic Pool B sport between Mexico and the USA at Daikin Park on March 9, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Photographs)
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Group USA and Italy will sq. off at Daikin Park on Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. ET.
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