Welcome to Pinstripe Alley’s coverage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic! We previewed Pool A, Pool B, Pool C, and Pool D in the linked articles. Since the first several days of the WBC feature a bevy of games, we’ll be recapping them in batches. Enjoy!
Pool C: Japan 8 (2-0), South Korea 6 (1-1)
Japan-South Korea is a heated rivalry as far as international baseball is concerned (and, uh, in life really), and the clash lived up to it in this year’s WBC. While Japan blasted four home runs for the game, it was a couple walks and a single that
gave them the three-run inning they needed to come away with the win.
Korea got off to a hot start, with a Bo Gyeong Moon double scoring three runs to cap off a three-run top of the first. However, two homers from Seiya Suzuki, one from Shohei Ohtani, and one from Masataka Yoshida allowed Japan to storm back and take a 5-3 lead in the third. Ohtani’s Dodgers teammate Hyeseong Kim answered with a two-run shot of his own, tying things up as the game went into the late innings.
In the seventh, Japan’s Shugo Maki drew a leadoff walk, with the pinch-runner for him advancing to third on two outs. Korea’s pitching then got sloppy, as while they intentionally walked Ohtani, they also issued two unintentional ones, allowing a run to score. Yoshida brought home two more with a single. While South Korea did get one run back, that three spot in the seventh ended up being the difference in the game.
Pool A: Canada 8 (1-0), Colombia 2 (0-2)
Thanks to a homer from Cubs-turned-Marlins up-and-comer Owen Caissie in the second, Canada never trailed in this one. But they didn’t fully put it away until a four-run eighth inning.
Canada was never not in control of this game, as the Caissie homer gave them a 2-0 lead, and they later went on to take a 4-1 lead thanks to a Josh Naylor single. However, Colombia got back within two runs in the eighth thanks to a Harold Ramírez RBI double and even brought the go-ahead run to the plate later in the inning.
That was as close as they got, though. Canada went on to bat around in the bottom half of the eighth, plating four runs in the process and staving off any upset bid.
Pool D: Netherlands 4 (1-1), Nicaragua 3 (0-2)
Nicaragua got within one out of pulling off the upset, but a stunning, walk-off, three-run homer from Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies swung the pendulum in the complete opposite direction and gave the Netherlands a crucial win to keep any hopes of advancing alive.
Much of this game was a pitching duel between Nicaragua’s Erasmo Ramírez and Jaitoine Kelly and the Dutch bullpen. The Netherlands had taken a lead after Albies was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the third, but Nicaragua answered when Cheslor Cuthbert drew a bases loaded walk in the fifth.
The game then stayed tied until the eighth. There, former Yankee farmhand Jeter Downs (most famously part of the trade package that netted the Dodgers Mookie Betts) hit a two-run home run to give Nicaragua the late lead and on the verge of their first-ever WBC win. Nicaragua pitcher Angel Obando then got through the eighth and picked up two quick outs in the ninth to get them right on the brink. Things quickly got away from them, though. Ceddanne Rafaela lined a single to center, and Xander Bogaerts caught a break when his 72.2-mph grounder hit the third-base bag and bounced into left. That set the stage for Albies, who launched one over the right-center-field fence for the first* walk-off homer in WBC history.
*As it turned out, it would not be the last of this day.
Pool B: Italy 8 (1-), Brazil 0 (0-2)
It took them a little while to get going, but eventually Italy’s superior lineup got past Brazil to win their tournament opener.
Through the first five innings, there was no score as Sam Aldegheri of Italy — who finished with eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings — and Enzo Sawayama of Brazil both had pretty decent days. When Italy did finally break through, the runs then came in bunches.
Zach Dezenzo and Jac Caglianone broke the deadlock with RBI hits in the sixth. Homers from Dante Nori and a moonshot from Seattle’s Dominic Canzone then helped Italy to a four-run seventh to put Italy in full control. Brazil never really troubled them after that, as Italy pitching combined to strike out 15 on the way to a win.
There will be another roundup post coming later, breaking down the rest of the games, including Aaron Judge and Team USA. Today will also be another busy day of WBC action with seven games ahead, so here’s the skinny of what’s on tap.
Australia vs. Japan (Pool C)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Connor MacDonald vs. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano
Time: 6:00 am ET
TV: FS1
Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan
Colombia vs. Cuba (Pool A)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Luis Patiño vs. RHP Denny Larrondo
Time: 12:00 pm ET
TV: FS2
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, PR
Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic (Pool D)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Arij Fransen vs. RHP Luis Severino
Time: 12:00 pm ET
TV: FOX
Venue: LoanDepot Park — Miami, FL
Great Britain vs. Italy (Pool B)
Pitching Matchup: TBD vs. RHP Dylan DeLucia
Time: 1:00 pm ET
TV: Tubi
Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, TX
Nicaragua vs. Israel (Pool D)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Carlos Rodriguez vs. RHP Dean Kremer
Time: 7:00 pm ET
TV: Tubi
Venue: LoanDepot Park — Miami, FL
Panama vs. Canada (Pool A)
Pitching Matchup: TBD vs. RHP Jameson Taillon
Time: 7:00 pm ET
TV: FS2
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico
Brazil vs. Mexico (Pool B)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Eric Pardinho vs. RHP Taijuan Walker
Time: 8:00 pm ET
TV: FS1
Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, TX
