In one of the most shocking results in World Baseball Classic history, Italy handed the star-studded United States an 8-6 defeat on Tuesday night at Daikin Park in Houston. The loss dropped Team USA to 3-1 in Pool B and left their quarterfinal hopes hanging by a thread on Wednesday’s final group game between Italy and Mexico.
What happened in the Italy vs USA WBC clash?
Italy, featuring many players with Italian-American MLB ties, entered as heavy underdogs but exploded early. Kyle Teel launched a solo home run in the second inning off USA starter Nolan McLean, followed by Sam Antonacci’s two-run shot. Jac Caglianone added a two-run homer in the fourth with a bold bat flip, building an 8-0 lead.
Veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen, not originally slated to start, delivered 4 2/3 scoreless innings, baffling stars like Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., and Kyle Schwarber. “It’s kind of weird throwing against your own country,” Lorenzen said. “But it was an incredible night.”
Italy manager Francisco Cervelli beamed with pride afterward. “This is one of the best days of my life,” he said. “I’m proud of my guys. They’re young, but they play like they’ve been in the big leagues for 10 years. Their focus was there. And, you know, everybody in Italy should see this. We’re doing it for them, for the kids. It can happen. It’s possible.”
What went wrong for Team USA in the shocking loss?
Team USA showed fatigue after a long Monday win over Mexico, with manager Mark DeRosa noting players were “dragging.” Several starters rested, including Bryce Harper and Alex Bregman. A late rally featured Gunnar Henderson’s homer, Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two homers (including a three-run shot), and Roman Anthony’s RBI single, but it fell short.
Greg Weissert struck out Henderson and Judge with the tying run on base to seal it. DeRosa explained emergency reliever Clayton Kershaw warmed up due to pitch limits, not overconfidence. “Kershaw was the only guy we had left,” he said.
Is Team USA eliminated? WBC quarterfinal scenarios explained
Team USA is not yet eliminated, but their fate depends on Wednesday’s Italy vs Mexico matchup (7 PM ET).
If Italy win, they finish 4-0 and top Pool B; USA advances as runner-up.
If Mexico wins and scores 5+ runs in nine innings, Mexico and USA advance (via tiebreaker on runs allowed per out).
If Mexico wins scoring 4 or fewer runs, Mexico and Italy advance; USA is out.
Captain Aaron Judge reflected on the stakes. “You always like having your destiny in your own hands, and we had it right in front of us,” he said. “Italy is a great team, and they definitely showed it today… Now, we just need a little luck, and we’ll see what happens.”
