In a surprising 8-6 defeat to Italy during the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa acknowledged that he incorrectly stated on television that his team had already clinched a quarterfinals berth. The loss leaves the Americans' advancement uncertain, pending the outcome of Italy's game against Mexico. DeRosa explained that he misread the pool standings calculations prior to resting several key players.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B matchup between Team USA and Italy took place on Tuesday night at Daikin Park in Houston, resulting in an 8-6 victory for Italy. Entering the game, Team USA held a 3-0 record, while Italy was 2-0. The loss drops the Americans to 3-1, with Italy now at 3-0 and Mexico at 2-1.
Earlier that day, during an appearance on MLB Network's Hot Stove, DeRosa remarked that Team USA had "already punched" its "ticket to the quarterfinals" following a 5-3 win over Mexico on Monday. He also indicated plans to rest some players, stating, "I’m going to get some guys off their feet, no question about it," and added, "we want to win this game, even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals."
DeRosa benched several stars to start the game, including Cal Raleigh, Bryce Harper, Alex Bregman, Byron Buxton, and Brice Turang. Team USA was shut out through the first five innings before mounting a late comeback that fell short.
Post-game, DeRosa addressed his comments, telling reporters, "Yeah, I misspoke. I was on Hot Stove with a couple buddies today and completely misread the calculations. We knew that Mexico is gonna play Italy and running all the numbers, if we lost tonight, with runs allowed and runs scored and outs -- I just misspoke."
Advancement now hinges on Wednesday's Italy-Mexico game. If Italy wins, Team USA advances as Pool B's runner-up. A Mexico victory would create a three-way tie at 3-1, resolved by tiebreakers starting with head-to-head records, then fewest runs allowed per out, and other criteria if needed. DeRosa reflected, "It’s tough. It’s super tough. I mean, guys in there are frustrated. It is what it is, though. We have to own it."
The starting pitcher for Team USA was Nolan McLean, facing Italy's Michael Lorenzen. The American lineup featured players like Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt, and Bobby Witt Jr.
