Team USA (3-1) made a valiant comeback, but it wasn't enough to get past Team Italy (3-0) in the World Baseball Classic, as the Italians built an 8-1 lead and held on to win, 8-5, at loanDepot Park in Miami, endangering the chances of Team USA advancing out of the group round.
If Italy beats Mexico on Wednesday, the U.S. will advance as the Group B runner-up. However, if Mexico wins, a three-way tie at 3-1 would exist and the score will decide who advances, with the tiebreaker being Runs Per Out (total runs allowed divided by defensive outs).
Italy only had six hits in the game, but three were home runs — Kyle Teel, Jac Caglianone and Sam Antonacci — accounting for five of their runs, with U.S. pitching helping with four walks and two errors.
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs for the Americans, as did Gunnar Henderson.
My take: Seems a cute anomaly, but if Team USA gets eliminated with that roster, shame on them for six weeks (as a wise man once said). Time to put espresso in the dugout.
THE ASYLUM
Italy stuns USA in WBC
Team USA (3-1) made a valiant comeback, but it wasn't enough to get past Team Italy (3-0) in the World Baseball Classic, as the Italians built an 8-1 lead and held on to win, 8-5, at loanDepot Park in Miami, endangering the chances of Team USA advancing out of the group round.
If Italy beats Mexico on Wednesday, the U.S. will advance as the Group B runner-up. However, if Mexico wins, a three-way tie at 3-1 would exist and the score will decide who advances, with the tiebreaker being Runs Per Out (total runs allowed divided by defensive outs).
Italy only had six hits in the game, but three were home runs — Kyle Teel, Jac Caglianone and Sam Antonacci — accounting for five of their runs, with U.S. pitching helping with four walks and two errors.
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs for the Americans, as did Gunnar Henderson.
My take: Seems a cute anomaly, but if Team USA gets eliminated with that roster, shame on them for six weeks (as a wise man once said). Time to put espresso in the dugout.
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