Italy defeated the United States 8-6 on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, in the final group stage match of their World Baseball Classic Pool C game.[1][2]

Home runs from Italy's Kyle Teel, a Boston Red Sox prospect eligible through Italian ancestry; Sam Antonacci; and Jac Caglianone, a Kansas City Royals first baseman/pitcher, helped secure the victory.[1][3][4] Teel, drafted 15th overall in 2023, and Caglianone, the No. 6 pick in 2024, highlighted Italy's reliance on players of Italian descent.[3][4]

For the U.S., Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two home runs and Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson added one, but the rally came too late after trailing 8-1 entering the seventh inning.[1][2]

Italy starter Michael Lorenzen, a veteran pitcher who appeared in the 2024 World Series with the Texas Rangers, pitched 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits.[1][5]

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge struck out in the ninth inning with a chance to extend the game. "It’s the toughest thing," Judge said. "You always like having your destiny in your own hands, and we had it right in front of us and Italy came out swinging."[1][2]

U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said he "misspoke" in a TV appearance when referring to the team's advancement as already secured. Judge added that players did not assume qualification.[1]

The loss leaves the U.S. needing favorable results from the Italy-Mexico matchup to advance to the quarterfinals, scheduled for March 13-15, 2026. A Mexico win would create a three-team tie at 3-1, resolved by runs allowed in head-to-head games among the tied teams. The U.S. could advance depending on the scoring margin.[1][2]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic features 20 teams competing March 5-21, with the top two from each of four pools advancing to the quarterfinals.[6]

Minute Maid Park, home of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros, hosted Pool C games with a capacity of approximately 41,000.[7]

Sources

1. Associated Press. "Italy upsets U.S. 8-6 in WBC pool finale, Americans await tiebreaker." March 11, 2026. https://apnews.com/article/world-baseball-classic-usa-italy-houston-2026
2. Fox News Digital. "Team USA falls to Italy 8-6 in World Baseball Classic." March 11, 2026. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/italy-defeats-us-wbc-pool-play-2026
3. MLB.com. "Kyle Teel Player Page." Accessed October 2024. https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-teel-690928
4. MLB.com. "Jac Caglianone Player Page." Accessed October 2024. https://www.mlb.com/player/jac-caglianone-686631
5. MLB.com. "Michael Lorenzen Player Page." Accessed October 2024. https://www.mlb.com/player/michael-lorenzen-518873
6. World Baseball Classic official site. "2026 World Baseball Classic." Accessed October 2024. https://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/
7. Wikipedia. "Minute Maid Park." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minute_Maid_Park