Aaron Judge and Brice Turang power
US to a 15-5 WBC-opening win over Brazil
[March 07, 2026]
Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer and Brice Turang had three hits and
four RBIs to lead the United States to a 15-5 win over Brazil in its
World Baseball Classic opener Friday night.
There was one out and one on in the first when Judge, the first
player to commit to the team last April, connected off Bo Takahashi
at Houston's Daikin Park.
Lucas Ramirez — with his father, 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez, in
attendance — homered twice for Brazil. He cut the lead to 2-1 with
his leadoff homer, and his solo shot in the eighth got Brazil within
8-5.
At 20 years, 49 days, he became the youngest player in WBC history
with a multi-homer game.
Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch in the fifth to push the Americans'
lead to 4-1. Turang cleared the bases with his double to left field
two pitches later to make it 7-1.
Brazil is in the WBC for just the second time and first since 2013.
The team fell to 0-4 all-time in the tournament after losing to
Japan, Cuba and China in 2013.
Another highlight for Brazil came when 17-year-old high school
senior Joseph Contreras got Judge to ground into a bases-loaded
double play to end the second inning. Contreras, the youngest player
in the WBC this year, is the son of pitcher José Contreras, who
played 11 MLB seasons.
Lucas Rojo hit an RBI single for Brazil in the seventh before a
two-run shot by Victor Mascai off Michael Wacha cut the lead to 7-4.
Bryce Harper's RBI single got things going in the ninth as the U.S.
tacked on seven more runs.
The Americans walked 17 times and forced Brazil to throw 221
pitches.
On Saturday, Brazil faces Italy on Saturday and the U.S. plays
Britain.
Ohtani has grand slam, 5 RBIs as Japan routs Taiwan 13-0 in its
WBC opener
Shohei Ohtani doubled on the first pitch of the game, then hit a
go-ahead grand slam and an RBI single in a 10-run second inning to
lead defending champion Japan over Taiwan 13-0 Friday night in its
WBC opener.
A triple shy of a cycle at the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani was denied on a
leaping catch by first baseman Nien-Ting Wu in the fourth.
The game was called after seven innings under a tournament mercy
rule. Yu Chang had the only hit for Taiwan (0-2), a leadoff single
in the sixth off Koki Kitayama.
With Japan the visiting team, Ohtani homered to right on a low,
outside curveball from loser Hao-Chun Cheng, a 102.4 mph drive that
traveled 368 feet. The half-inning lasted 28 minutes.
Kazuma Okamoto hit an RBI single in a three-run third off Tzu-Chen
Sha.
Winner Yoshinobu Yamamoto, last season’s World Series MVP, walked
three in 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Shoma Fujihira relieved with the
bases loaded and struck out An-Ko Lin.
Castro and Lugo help Puerto Rico blank Colombia 5-0
Willi Castro hit an RBI double in a five-run fifth inning, sending
Puerto Rico to the win in its Group A opener against Colombia.
Seth Lugo pitched four-plus innings of three-hit ball for Puerto
Rico. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.
Harold Ramírez had three of Colombia’s six hits.
Puerto Rico collected each of its five hits in the fifth at San
Juan’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
Carlos Cortes hit a leadoff single and scored on an error by third
baseman Gio Urshela. Eddie Rosario singled home Darell Hernaiz, and
Martín Maldonado chased Adrian Almeida with another run-scoring
single.
Rosario scored on Castro’s line drive to right off David Lorduy, and
Heliot Ramos added a sacrifice fly.
Colombia threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with two down.
But Fernando Cruz retired pinch-hitter Jordan Diaz on a flyball to
right, ending the inning.
Edwin Díaz worked the ninth for Puerto Rico, striking out the side
after Tito Polo’s pinch-hit single.
Jose Quintana started for Colombia and tossed three hitless innings.
The left-hander threw 31 pitches, 19 for strikes.
Both teams play again on Saturday. Puerto Rico faces Panama, and
Colombia takes on Canada.
Aranda's 3-run 8th-inning homer leads Mexico over Britain 8-2
In Houston, Jonathan Aranda broke open the game with a three-run
homer in the eighth inning to lead Mexico in Pool B.
The game was tied 1-1 after solo homers by both teams when Gary Gill
Hill struck out the first two batters in the eighth. He then issued
consecutive walks to Jarren Duran and Arozarena before Aranda lifted
a low fastball into the left-field seats.
The crowd, overwhelmingly Mexico fans, went wild as Aranda rounded
the bases.
Alek Thomas padded the lead with a two-run single in the ninth and
Joey Ortiz added an RBI double before Arozarena drove in a run on a
single that made it 8-1.
Nacho Alvarez Jr. gave Mexico a 1-0 lead in the second inning and
Harry Ford tied the score in the sixth.
Jack Anderson started for Britain, allowing two hits and a run with
three strikeouts in three innings. Mexico starter Javier Assad
permitted two hits while striking out two in 3 2/3 scoreless
innings.
[to top of second column] |
Japan's Shohei Ohtani enters the arena with young escorts before the
start of a World Baseball Classic Pool C game between Japan and
Taiwan Friday, March 6, 2026 in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Trayce Thompson, a younger brother of NBA star Klay Thompson, had
two hits for Britain, capped by an RBI double in the ninth inning.
Britain will face the U.S. on Saturday night and Mexico resumes play
Sunday night against Brazil.
Sanoja homers, Venezuela rides 4-run 5th to 6-2 win over
Netherlands
At Miami, Javier Sanoja of the Marlins homered in his home ballpark,
Willson Contreras had a two-run single to highlight a four-run fifth
and Venezuela opened Pool D play with a win over the Netherlands.
Sanoja, Contreras and Wilyer Abreu all had two hits for Venezuela,
while Luis Arraez drove in two runs and Ronald Acuña Jr. scored
twice.
Venezuela starter Ranger Suarez allowed three hits and one run in
two innings.
Druw Jones — the son of Netherlands manager and soon-to-be Hall of
Famer Andruw Jones — drove in both Netherlands runs, first with a
tying double in the second and then a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Antwone Kelly started on the mound for the Netherlands, giving up
four hits and two runs in three innings.
Both teams return to action Saturday, with Netherlands taking on
Nicaragua and Venezuela meeting Israel.
Australia beats Czech Republic 5-1 behind Curtis Mead's 3-run
homer
Australia (2-0) defeated the Czech Republic (0-2) in Tokyo behind a
go-ahead, three-run, third-inning homer from Curtis Mead of the
Chicago White Sox off loser Tomas Ondra to remain unbeaten in Pool
C.
Australia, which lost to Cuba in a 2023 quarterfinal, took a 3-1
lead when Mead homered after the Czechs failed to convert a
potential double play. Alex Hall added a solo homer off Ryan Johnson
in a two-run ninth.
Vojtech Mensik hit a second-inning sacrifice fly for the Czechs.
Josh Hendrickson allowed one run and two hits over three innings.
Yoán Moncada homers to lead Cuba over Panama 3-0
Yoán Moncada and Yoelquis Guibert homered off Logan Allen at San
Juan, Puerto Rico, and Cuba won its WBC opener for the first time
since 2013.
Cuba, which lost the 2006 final to Japan and a 2023 semifinal to the
U.S., is missing many top Cuban-born players, including Aroldis
Chapman, Randy Arozarena and Luis Robert Jr.
Guibert went deep on a high 2-0 fastball in the second and Moncada
one inning later pulled a 3-1 sweeper at the bottom of the strike
zone for his first home run off a left-hander since Sept. 28, 2023,
off Arizona’s Kyle Nelson.
Panama's Johan Camargo had an RBI single in the seventh against
Emmanuel Chapman and, with runners at the corners, Darien Núñez
retired Christian Bethancourt on an inning-ending groundout.
Allen, a Florida native whose mother was born in Panama, allowed
three runs and five hits in three innings, taking the loss. Winner
Livan Moinelo gave up two hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Cuba did not have a baserunner after the fifth. Raidel Martinez got
three straight outs for the save.
Caminero, Rodriguez and Cruz homer to lead Dominican Republic
over Nicaragua
Junior Caminero hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning as
the Dominican Republic beat Nicaragua before a crowd of 35,127 to
conclude the first day of Pool D at Miami's loanDepot Park.
Julio Rodriguez and Oneil Cruz also went deep for the Dominican
Republic, which broke it open late after Caminero’s homer snapped a
3-all tie.
Manny Machado’s double in the sixth preceded Caminero’s blast.
Rodriguez’s leadoff homer and Cruz’s three-run blast highlighted a
six-run eighth.
After his drive off Nicaragua reliever Stiven Cruz cleared the
center-field wall, Caminero pumped his chest in jubilation as he
pointed to the crowd while rounding the bases. Caminero then was
mobbed by his teammates when he touched the plate.
The Dominican Republic padded the lead on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s
sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Seranthony Domínguez pitched the sixth for the win. Eight Dominican
relievers threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings after starter Christopher
Sánchez got only four outs.
Nicaragua chased Sánchez during a two-run second. Freddy Zamora hit
an RBI double and scored from third on an error by left fielder Juan
Soto to put Nicaragua ahead 3-2.
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