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!
Monday was a bittersweet moment in this year’s World Baseball Classic. With pool play gradually coming to a close, we bid goodbye to multiple teams (and the staggering seven/eight-game days) and began to look ahead to the knockout stage of the tourney.
Although many of these games were not in themselves did not quite match up to the excitement of the weekend’s slate, we nonetheless had plenty of drama, as several teams punched their tickets to the next round — while others walked off the field disappointed.
Here, we have the early slate of games from yesterday; look out for the evening games in a little bit!
Pool C: South Korea (2-2) 7, Australia (2-2) 2
When South Korea and Australia began play early yesterday morning, second place in Pool C — and a spot in the knockout round — was up for grabs, and boy, were the scenarios complicated. With a 2-1 record heading into the game, Australia was in the driver’s seat, as they would advance with either a win or a loss of four runs or fewer. South Korea, on the other hand, needed to win by five runs or more … so long as they didn’t score more than seven runs or allow more than two; in that highly specific scenario, Chinese Taipei would win the tiebreaker.
One heroic fan at the Tokyo Dome even brought a chart to explain the tiebreaker rules:
Needing a big day on offense, South Korea jumped out to an early lead, courtesy of a two-run homer off the bat of Bo Gyeong Moon in the top of the second and a trio of doubles — one by former Yankee Jahmai Jones, the second by Jung Hoo Lee, and the third by Moon — in the third gave them a quick 4-0 lead. With two outs in the fifth, Hyun Min Ahn walked, then stole second base, to put a runner in scoring position for Moon, who came through with his third hit and fourth RBI of the day to give his team that necessary five-run lead.
Australia cut into that lead in the bottom of the fifth. Robbie Glendinning led off the inning with a solo shot, bringing the deficit back to four. South Korea got that run right back in the sixth, courtesy of a Dong Won Park double and a Do Yeong Kim single. But the Australians would not go down quietly. Facing Taek Yeon Kim in the bottom of the eighth, they scratched one run across, as Robbie Perkins worked a leadoff walk, and pinch-runner Max Durrington reached second on a sac bunt before coming around to score on a single by top 2024 MLB Draft pick Travis Bazzana.
Despite losing 6-2, Team Australia just had to keep South Korea off the board in the ninth, and they would advance to the knockout stage. Their pitcher, however, walked Do Yeong Kim to lead off the inning, then shortstop Jarryd Dale allowed Hae-Ming Park (who pinch ran for Kim) advance to third on a throwing error. One Hyun Min Ahn sacrifice fly later, and South Korea had once more achieved a 7-2 lead. Byeong Hyeon Jo then set down Australia in the bottom of the frame, securing the win — and South Korea’s first Quarterfinals appearance since the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Pool D: Dominican Republic (3-0) 10, Israel (1-2), 1
The Dominican Republic continued to run all over Pool D, scoring 10 runs on 7 hits while working 11 walks in a dominant offensive performance over Israel Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, starter Brayan Bello struck out seven in five innings of work, as the D.R. pitching staff held their opponents to just two hits — and three total baserunners — all day.
The Dominican Republic seized control of this game early, courtesy of a big second inning — or, it might be more accurate to say, a terrible second inning from Israel starter Ryan Prager. It would was a daunting task for the 2025 ninth-round pick with just two career pro appearances (at A-ball) to try to tame this lineup, and it didn’t work out. Prager walked four of the first five batters he faced in the second, sandwiching a Junior Caminero flyout and an Agustín Ramírez strikeout to at least keep the hope of escaping relatively unscathed alive. San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., however, had other ideas.
Just like that, the first grand slam for the Dominican Republic in WBC history gave the D.R. a commanding 5-0 lead, one that would never even have the appearance of being threatened. Juan Soto struck out in the third, Oneil Cruz homered in the fourth, Tatis tacked on two more with an RBI double in the seventh, Ramírez brought in a run on a groundout in the eighth, and Erik González tripled in a run in the ninth. Amidst it all, Spencer Horwitz’s solo homer in the fourth would prove to the only highlight for his now-eliminated squad, as the D.R. bullpen (including former Yankee Wandy Peralta) provided four scoreless innings behind Bello.
Pool A: Colombia (1-3) 4, Panama (1-3) 3
Neither Colombia nor Panama will be advancing to the knockout stage, but sometimes, it is in these games — games that mean nothing but pride — where you get some of the best baseball. No-hit for the first 5.2 innings, Panama wound up out-hitting Colombia 7-4, but in the end, they could not overcome a big sixth inning from the Colombia offense and would go on to lose 4-3.
Michael Arroyo worked a walk to lead off the top of the sixth for Colombia, followed up by a Harold Ramírez single and a Donovan Solano walk that loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Jordan Diaz brought in Arroyo. Reynaldo Rodriguez followed that up with a two-run single. Two batters later, Daniel Vellojin singled in Rodriguez. Just like that, Colombia had themselves a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Yankees shortstop José Caballero went to work for Panama, drilling a home run into the left field seats for his squad’s first hit of the ball game, cutting the deficit from four to three.
Two innings later, Cabby reached on an infield single, stole second, and came around to score on a Jose Ramos single through the right side of the infield. A pair of singles, by Edmundo Sosa and Christian Bethancourt, would plate Ramos, and the Colombia lead was cut to just one. Unfortunately for them, Pedro Garcia came on after Bethancourt’s at bat, retired four of the next batters he faced, and bailed out Colombia. They would have been guaranteed to miss automatic qualification for the 2029 WBC had they lost, but instead, that question will remain up in the air as the final games of that pool play out.
Pool B: Great Britain (1-3), 6, Brazil (0-4) 1
In a battle between two winless teams about to head home, Great Britain found themselves on top, outscoring their previous three games combined to escape a last-place finish. Both their pitching staff and starting lineup came to play, as Yankees Triple-A starter Brendan Beck — a spring NRI and a 2021 second-round pick — led the way with four no-hit innings en route to a combined one-hitter, while Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 2-for-5 with three RBI to salvage what has been for him a rather lackluster Classic.
Despite allowing just one hit, though, Great Britain actually found themselves in a hole in the bottom of the fifth, as that one hit was an RBI double off the bat of Gabriel Carmo in the top half of that frame. Fortunately, Ian Lewis Jr. homered to lead off the inning. A Trayce Thompson walk, singles by Nate Eaton and Harry Ford, and a fielder’s choice off the bat of Chisholm then flipped the game around, giving Britain a lead from which they would never look back. They would go on to tack on one run in the sixth, then two more apiece in the seventh and eighth, as Ryan Long, Najer Victor, and Tristan Beck (Brendan’s brother) slammed the door and notched the redcoats jerseys their first win of the tourney.
Great Britain will be back for the next WBC, while winless Brazil must go through qualifiers.
Today at the WBC
Japan vs. Czech Republic (Pool C)
Pitching matchup: RHP Hiroto Takahashi vs. RHP Ondrej Satoria
Time: 6:00 a.m. ET
TV: FS1
Venue: Tokyo Dome, Japan
Netherlands vs. Israel (Pool D)
Pitching matchup: LHP Ryjeteri Merite vs. RHP Carlos Lequerica
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Venue: loanDepot park, Miami, FL
Canada vs. Puerto Rico (Pool C)
Pitching matchup: RHP Jordan Balazovic vs. RHP José De León
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: Tubi
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR
Italy vs. United States (Pool B)
Pitching matchup: TBD vs. TBD
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Venue: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
