Even baseball's birthplace isn't immune to tiebreaker scenarios in pool play.
Team USA now faces potential elimination from the 2026 World Baseball Classic pool stage. The Americans lost 6-8 to Italy in their Pool B fourth-round match at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, on March 11.
Italy now leads Pool B with a perfect 3-0 record, followed by the United States (3-1) and Mexico (2-1). With the U.S. having completed its pool schedule, a three-way tie at 3-1 remains possible.
If Mexico defeats Italy on March 12 at the same venue, all three teams would share a 0.750 winning percentage. Rankings would then be determined by minimum runs allowed ratio—the same tiebreaker system Korea used to secure second place in Pool C ahead of Australia and Taiwan.
Should Mexico beat Italy while scoring four runs or fewer, Team USA is eliminated. Through 18 innings, the U.S. has allowed 11 runs, compared to Italy's six runs in nine innings and Mexico's five in eight innings.
Since Mexico bats second, both teams would have 17 defensive innings in a nine-inning Mexican victory. An Italian win would secure them first place at 4-0, advancing the U.S. to second.
Team USA must now watch the Mexico-Italy game much like Taiwan watched Korea face Australia.
The Americans fell behind 3-0 in the second inning when starter Nolan Lynn surrendered a solo homer to Kyle Teel and a two-run shot to Sam Antonacci. Ryan Yarbrough allowed a two-run homer to Zac Caglianone in the fourth.
The humiliation continued in the sixth. A fielding error, sacrifice fly, and wild pitch added three more runs, stretching Italy's lead to 8-0.
The U.S. rallied with Gunnar Henderson's solo homer in the sixth, Pete Crow-Armstrong's three-run blast in the seventh, and Roman Anthony's RBI single in the eighth. Crow-Armstrong added another solo shot in the ninth to close within two runs, but Henderson and Aaron Judge struck out consecutively with one out and a runner on first to end the game.
In Pool A, Canada edged Puerto Rico 3-2. Canadian right-hander Brook Dyson, who pitched in the KBO League in 2019, earned the save with three perfect innings and one strikeout from the seventh. Puerto Rico has clinched a quarterfinal berth at 3-1, with the March 12 Canada-Cuba winner advancing as Pool A's second qualifier.
In Pool D, Israel defeated the Netherlands 6-2. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela have already secured the pool's two quarterfinal spots with three wins each. The March 12 winner between those two teams will face Pool C runner-up Korea in the quarterfinals as pool champion, while the loser meets Japan.