The World Baseball Classic quarterfinal stage produced another dramatic moment Friday night as United States national baseball team defeated the Canada national baseball team 5–3 to advance to the tournament semifinals.
Before a crowd of 38,054 at Daikin Park, the Americans built an early lead behind strong pitching from Logan Webb and timely hitting, then survived a late Canadian rally to secure their place in Sunday’s semifinal showdown against the powerful Dominican Republic national baseball team.
The victory came just hours after the Dominicans dominated South Korea national baseball team with a 10–0 mercy-rule win in seven innings, setting up what many consider the tournament’s most anticipated matchup.
Team USA wasted little time getting on the board. In the first inning, Kyle Schwarber delivered a run-scoring groundout to give the Americans a 1–0 lead.
The U.S. extended its advantage in the third inning thanks in part to defensive trouble for Canada. With the bases loaded, Canadian third baseman Abraham Toro fielded a ground ball but sailed his throw over the head of first baseman Josh Naylor, allowing two runs to score and pushing the lead to 3–0.
Team USA added insurance runs in the sixth inning when Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong each delivered RBI singles, stretching the margin to 5–0.
Meanwhile, Webb kept the Canadian lineup in check with a composed outing. Mixing his sinker, changeup and sweeper effectively, the San Francisco right-hander allowed just four hits over 4⅔ scoreless innings while striking out five on 71 pitches.
Webb exited to a standing ovation, appearing to have the Americans firmly in control. Canada began its comeback in the sixth inning when Tyler Black drove in a run with an RBI single off reliever Brad Keller.
Moments later, left-hander Gabe Speier entered and was greeted by a two-run home run from catcher Bo Naylor, cutting the deficit to 5–3 and bringing the Canadian dugout to life.
The pressure continued in the eighth inning against David Bednar, who allowed two infield singles and a passed ball that put runners on second and third with no outs. But Bednar escaped the jam, getting Naylor to pop out, striking out Tyler O’Neill, and retiring rookie Owen Caissie on a splitter to end the threat.
From there, the American bullpen held firm. Garrett Whitlock and flamethrowing closer Mason Miller combined to record the final six outs and preserve the 5–3 victory.
With the win, Team USA advances to face the Dominican Republic in a high-profile semifinal clash. American ace Paul Skenes is expected to start for the United States and will have a larger pitch limit — up to 95 pitches — after being restricted earlier in the tournament.
He will face a Dominican lineup that has been the most dangerous offense in the tournament. The D.R. has already tied a WBC record with 14 home runs and has scored 51 runs in five games while slashing an impressive .312/.453/.637 as a team.
Team USA, by contrast, has struggled to produce consistently at the plate. Despite explosive early games against Brazil and Great Britain, the American offense has largely relied on isolated bursts of scoring.
Still, the Americans have found ways to win — and now stand one victory away from another trip to the championship game.
Sunday night’s semifinal between the United States and the Dominican Republic promises to feature elite pitching, star-studded lineups and a place in the World Baseball Classic final on the line.
