The United States secured a 9-1 victory over Great Britain in Pool B of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on March 7, 2026. The win improved the U.S. to 2-0 in pool play, while Great Britain fell to 0-2.

Kyle Schwarber, outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, a 427-foot drive to right field. Gunnar Henderson, shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, recorded four hits and two RBIs, including a two-run single later in the fifth that extended the lead to 5-1.

Nate Eaton homered on the first pitch from Tarik Skubal to give Great Britain an early 1-0 lead, which held until the fifth. The U.S. tied the game when Ernie Clement reached on an error and later scored on a wild pitch, setting up Schwarber's homer.

Aaron Judge, outfielder and captain for the New York Yankees, added an RBI single in a three-run sixth inning, smashing it at 109.6 mph into the scoreboard and pushing the score to 8-1. Skubal, the 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner for the Detroit Tigers, allowed two hits with five strikeouts over three innings.

The game was played at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros and one of four venues hosting 2026 World Baseball Classic pool play from March 6-11. Pool B features the United States, Venezuela, Great Britain, Cuba and Italy in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

Historically, the U.S. has dominated Great Britain in WBC play, including a 6-2 win in their 2023 pool stage meeting in Miami. Skubal is scheduled for one start in the tournament before returning to Detroit Tigers spring training. The U.S. is off until its next pool game on March 9, while Great Britain faces Italy on March 8.

Sources

1. MLB.com, "World Baseball Classic 2026 pools, dates and venues announced", September 17, 2024, https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-pools-dates-venues-announced
2. ESPN.com, "World Baseball Classic 2026 pool play locations, dates announced", September 17, 2024, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41668879/world-baseball-classic-2026-pools-venues-announced
3. MLB.com, "Tarik Skubal wins 2024 AL Cy Young Award", November 14, 2024, https://www.mlb.com/news/tarik-skubal-wins-al-cy-young-award-2024
4. Wikipedia, "Minute Maid