Italy Upsets The U.s. At World Baseball Classic To Put Americans On Brink Of Elimination

HOUSTON — Kyle Teel, Sam Antonacci and Jac Caglianone homered arsenic Italy built a large lead and held connected to stun nan United States 8-6 Tuesday night successful nan World Baseball Classic.

The U.S. is done pinch excavation play astatine Houston’s Daikin Park and needs nan Italians to hit Mexico Wednesday nighttime to beryllium guaranteed a spot successful nan quarterfinals. If Mexico thumps Italy, nan 3 teams will beryllium knotted astatine 3-1 and nan winners will beryllium wished by a tiebreaker, pinch nan squad that allowed nan astir runs eliminated.

Italy starter Michael Lorenzen allowed 2 hits successful 4 2/3 scoreless innings to support nan Americans disconnected balance.

Pete Crow-Armstrong homered doubly and drove successful 4 runs, and Gunnar Henderson added a solo changeable for nan U.S., but nan rally came up short erstwhile Greg Weissert struck retired Aaron Judge pinch a runner connected to extremity it.

Crow-Armstrong’s 2nd homer, a changeable to nan 2nd platform successful correct field, trim nan lead to 8-6 pinch 1 retired successful nan ninth. Bobby Witt Jr. singled and Henderson struck retired earlier Judge whiffed to commencement nan Italian celebration.

The U.S. was down by 8-1 pinch 2 retired successful nan seventh erstwhile Crow-Armstrong deed a majestic three-run homer to correct field.

Kyle Schwarber and Will Smith deed back-to-back singles pinch 2 retired successful nan eighth earlier Roman Anthony’s RBI azygous connected a statement thrust to near field. But Ron Marinaccio retired pinch-hitter Bryce Harper connected a alert shot to extremity nan inning.

Teel’s location tally to nan Crawford boxes successful near section gave Italy an early lead pinch 2 retired successful nan third. McLean past plunked Caglianone earlier Antonacci’s homer to nan bullpen successful right-center made it 3-0.

Caglianone’s two-run changeable disconnected Ryan Yarbrough pushed nan lead to 5-0 pinch nary outs successful nan fourth.

The Italians added a tally connected an error, different connected a sacrifice alert and a 3rd connected a chaotic transportation by Brad Keller to push nan lead to 8-0 successful a sloppy sixth by nan U.S.

The U.S. yet sewage connected nan committee pinch Henderson’s homer successful nan sixth.