Italy pulled off a stunning upset on Wednesday, defeating the United States 8-6 in a major shocker at the World Baseball Classic. The victory throws Pool B into chaos and puts Team USA on the brink of elimination.
Kyle Teel, Sam Antonacci and Jac Caglianone each launched home runs, powering Italy to a commanding lead that they ultimately held onto. The Italians took control early, building a significant advantage that proved difficult for the Americans to overcome.
The United States now faces a precarious situation, needing Italy to defeat Mexico on Thursday to avoid a complicated tiebreaker scenario. If Mexico wins, all three teams will finish with identical 3-1 records, and the team that has allowed the most runs will be eliminated. The fate of the tournament favorites, alongside Japan, now rests on the outcome of that crucial matchup.
Italy starter Michael Lorenzen delivered a dominant performance, allowing just two hits over 4.2 scoreless innings, effectively stifling the potent American lineup. Lorenzen’s masterful pitching set the tone for the entire game.
Despite the early deficit, Team USA mounted a late rally. Pete Crow-Armstrong blasted two home runs and drove in four runs, while Gunnar Henderson added a solo shot. However, their comeback efforts fell short as Greg Weissert secured the final out by striking out Aaron Judge with a runner on base.
Crow-Armstrong’s second home run narrowed the gap to 8-6 with one out in the ninth inning, but Weissert then shut the door, striking out Judge to end the game and complete the stunning victory for Italy. The Americans had rallied from being down 8-1 with two outs in the seventh when Crow-Armstrong hit a three-run homer to right field.
Kyle Schwarber and Will Smith hit consecutive singles with two outs in the eighth before Roman Anthony drove in a run with a single to left. But Ron Marinaccio got Bryce Harper to fly out to end the inning.
