Houston, Texas — Italy’s 9-1 win over Mexico at the World Baseball Classic sent Team USA to the quarterfinals and set up a U.S.-Canada matchup on Friday, while Italy won Pool B and will face Puerto Rico on Saturday, a result confirmed by ESPN, AP News, MLB.com, CBS Sports, CNN, and Fox News. We are highlighting only details corroborated by at least four of those sources.
- Italy beat Mexico 9-1 in the Pool B finale at Daikin Park in Houston.
- Italy finished 4-0 to win Pool B, while the United States went 3-1 to advance as the runner-up and Mexico finished 2-2.
- Team USA advanced to the quarterfinals and will play Canada in Houston on Friday.
- Italy will face Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
- Vinnie Pasquantino hit three home runs, the first three-homer game in World Baseball Classic history.
Additional Details Reported
ESPN and AP reported that Italy right-hander Aaron Nola threw five scoreless innings, while Fox News and AP noted Jon Berti’s home run helped Italy build an early lead.
AP reported that Mexico’s loss eliminated it from qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
MLB.com reported that the U.S. is expected to start Logan Webb against Canada in the quarterfinals.
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