Team USA again waited until late in the game to rally for a 9-4 win over Canada and advanced to the second round of the World Baseball Classic. Adam Jones doubled in the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth inning, Eric Hosmer hit a three-run double in the ninth and the U.S. scored seven times in the last two innings to pull away with the win.
The loser of the game went home in the winner moved on and it wasn’t looking good for Team USA late. The U.S. trailed 3-2 after seven innings before erupting.
“It would have been embarrassing,” second baseman Brandon Phillips said. “I would have been embarrassed. USA this is where baseball started and we represent our country. I just feel that if we had lost we didn’t do our job. We have to go out there and try to be the first American team to win the WBC. That is our goal.
Derek Holland pitched five innings allowing two earned runs while striking out four. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth to ensure the victory. Ben Zobrist who started in right field instead of Giancarlo Stanton had three hits, as did Jones.
The United States gets the No. 1 seed heading into round two because of its 6-2 win over the Italian squad and will play the loser of Sunday night’s Dominican Republic-Puerto Rico game on Tuesday in Miami. Italy faces the winner of that game.
