DAIKIN PARK (Houston) – Team USA has kept its hopes of avenging that loss to Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic Championship Game. It has work to do to get back to that point, though, starting against a Canada team that has a different defeat to avenge.
Tonight’s WBC quarterfinals bout at the home of the Houston Astros will be the latest round of the countries’ sports rivalry that saw the USA beat Canada in both the Olympic gold-medal men’s and women’s hockey games last month.
“I think it would be great to avenge it,” said Team Canada baseball manager Ernie Whitt.
“Obviously, we’re all aware of it,” added Team Canada starting pitcher Michael Soroka. “We all took a lot (of flak) in the clubhouses during that game, the day after especially, and it would be nice. But, again, we’re not chasing results. We’re not chasing a story. We’re just going to go out there and play our brand of baseball and let everything fall as they may.”
Canada will be heading into Friday’s game after advancing into the WBC quarterfinals for the first time in the country’s history. The U.S. meanwhile, will be trying to demonstrate that its last game was just a blip.
Team USA’s loaded roster nearly didn’t make it out of pool play after losing to Team Italy, but that same Italian club also pushed the U.S. through to the next round by taking care of Mexico in its final game of Pool B.
“Hats off to them,” said USA manager Mark DeRosa about Italy. “They bailed us out.”
Team USA’s coaching staff watched that Italy-Mexico game from pitching coach Andy Pettitte’s house in Houston, while many of the players gathered in a conference room in the hotel. An early onslaught by Italy led to high-fives and fist-bumps, giving the U.S. “a new lease on life,” as DeRosa described it.
If that’s not motivation enough, Team USA also received a message from Team USA hockey hero Jack Hughes, who tried to fire the group up.
Now, the U.S. has to take advantage.
USA Olympic medal winner Jack Hughes sent a message of support to the WBC squad. (Photo by Andrea Branca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
“Not the situation we wanted to be in,” said Team USA pitcher Logan Webb, who is slated to start the quarterfinal game against Soroka. “But here we are, on to Canada. And we got three more to win.”
Webb will be making his second start of the WBC after allowing one run and striking out six over four innings in USA’s opener against Brazil. This time, the bullpen behind him will take on a different look.
Roster changes are afoot for USA’s pitching staff. Relievers Will Vest, Tyler Rogers and Tim Hill will be joining the team in place of Ryan Yarbrough, Michael Wacha and Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, who made one start for Team USA before returning to Detroit.
In addition, pitching duo Matthew Boyd and Clay Holmes are both expected to return to the Cubs and Mets, respectively, as they build up for the season. Neither was slated to be a starter in the tournament, and DeRosa couldn’t guarantee them innings the way he could in pool play.
Logan Webb gets the nod for the Team USA against Canada on Friday. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
“Trying to weave our way through it from a pitching standpoint, all bets are off now,” DeRosa said.
Following the quarterfinals, Twins All-Star Joe Ryan is expected to sub in for Clayton Kershaw and is lined up to pitch at some point along with Nolan McLean, should the U.S. reach the final.
Canada has not beaten the U.S. in the WBC in 20 years, but the memories of that 2006 victory are still at the forefront.
“What I remember is the highlights that they play every year at the Baseball Canada banquet,” Soroka said. “I get to see those over and over again, and they don’t get old.”
