The United States defeated Canada 5-3 on Friday and will face the Dominican Republic in the semifinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
In the game played at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, the U.S. ninth took advantage in the first inning of Josh Naylor’s nervousness, who did not know how to attack Kyle Schwarber’s grounder to first base and allowed Bobby Witt to cross the plate to make it 1-0.
Taking advantage of Canada’s mistakes
The Canadian ninth reacted, but failed in definitive moments.
Between the closing of the first and second innings he left three men hanging on the pads.
The Mark DeRosa team came back in the third chapter.
Alex Bregman hit a grounder to third with a full house.
Abraham Toro took it, but missed with a high throw to first, allowing runs by Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge to extend the U.S. lead to 3-0 in this World Baseball Classic.
In the sixth, the U.S. offense did some damage with a pair of producing hits by Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong, which pushed two more runs across to make it 5-0.
U.S. Bullpen secures victory
Canada failed in key moments
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Canada finally broke the shutout in the bottom of the inning.
This thanks to a line drive by Black that drove in a run and cut it to 5-3 with a two-run homer by Josh Naylor.
The Canadian team kept the comeback going in the bottom of the seventh with men on second and third with no outs.
But David Bednar fought on the mound:
He retired Josh Naylor, who hit a grounder to third, and Tyler On’Neill and Owen Caissie in a row with strikeouts.
Closer Mason Miller concluded the game in spectacular fashion for the United States in this World Classic.
He struck out Jared Young, Edward Julien and Otto Lopez to complete the victory.
The quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic will continue this Saturday with the duels between Puerto Rico and Italy and Venezuela and Japan.
With information from EFE
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