By KRISTIE RIEKEN
Updated 8:21 AM PDT, March 11, 2026
HOUSTON (AP) — The unexpected defeat of the United States by Italy in the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday means the Americans now require assistance to move on to the quarterfinals.
The 8-6 loss concluded their pool play with a 3-1 record. As Mexico and Italy conclude Pool B on Wednesday night, an Italian victory would secure second place for the U.S. and a place in the next round.
If Mexico triumphs, all three teams will finish with a 3-1 record and will need a tiebreaker.
The tiebreaker is determined by the number of runs allowed in matches among the tied teams. Therefore, the U.S. could still proceed even with a Mexican win, provided Mexico scores at least five runs in a nine-inning game.
Aaron Judge, who struck out to end the game, expressed disappointment over the team’s failure to secure a win against Italy.
“It’s the toughest thing,” he mentioned. “You always want to have control over your own fate, and we had it right in front of us, but Italy came out swinging.”
Italy powered through with three home runs in the first four innings, establishing a five-run lead and reaching an 8-0 advantage before the U.S. managed to score.
Following the game, U.S. manager Mark DeRosa faced inquiries about his earlier comments suggesting that the team had already clinched a quarterfinal spot after their win over Mexico. In a morning TV appearance, he stated: “A ton of respect for Italy—it’s strange—we want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals because Mexico plays Italy tomorrow. This is a significant game for us.”
In the press room, he clarified that he had miscommunicated, and later outside the clubhouse, he reaffirmed that he did not believe his team was already secured for the next round.
“One hundred percent … I misspoke,” he stated. “That’s the bottom line.”
Judge indicated that the players were not under the impression that they had already secured advancement, and he was unaware of DeRosa’s TV remarks.
He added that the team would probably gather at their hotel to watch Wednesday’s matchup.
“It’s out of our hands now,” he remarked. “We just need a bit of luck and we’ll see what happens.”
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