World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic continues Thursday with a Pool A matchup between Cuba and Italy at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taiwan.

Cuba (0-1) and Italy (yet to play) are part of Pool A with the Netherlands (1-0), Chinese Taipei (0-1) and Panama (1-0). [Luis Robert Jr.](https://www.mlb.com/player/luis-robert-jr-673357), CF, Cuba: Robert is the best hitter in this lineup. [Vinnie Pasquantino](https://www.mlb.com/player/vinnie-pasquantino-686469), 1B, Italy: Pasquantino, still just 25, is the star of this team. [Roenis Elías](https://www.mlb.com/player/roenis-elias-606273), SP, Cuba: Elías has been a very solid pitcher during his Major League career, but recently, that’s only been as a reliever. It has participated in every WBC, riding a Cinderella story to its best finish (seventh) back in 2013. This will be Italy’s first game of the 2023 Classic.

TOKYO -- Robbie Glendinning hit 19 home runs in Double-A last year and added six more this winter playing for Melbourne in the Australia Baseball League.

The Aussies are expected to be strong favorites in that one and could put themselves in solid position to reach the second round of play for the first time in national team history. "I think he could put the team in a good mood for tomorrow." Box 4100","city":"Seattle","state":"Washington","stateAbbrev":"WA","postalCode":"98104","defaultCoordinates":{"latitude":47.591333,"longitude":-122.33251},"country":"USA","phone":"(206) 346-4000"},"timeZone":{"id":"America/Los_Angeles","offset":-8,"tz":"PST"},"active":true,"season":"2023"},"springVenue":{"id":2530,"link":"/api/v1/venues/2530"},"teamCode":"sea","fileCode":"sea","abbreviation":"SEA","teamName":"Mariners","locationName":"Seattle","firstYearOfPlay":"1977","league":{"id":103,"name":"American League","link":"/api/v1/league/103"},"division":{"id":200,"name":"American League West","link":"/api/v1/divisions/200"},"sport":{"id":1,"link":"/api/v1/sports/1","name":"Major League Baseball"},"shortName":"Seattle","franchiseName":"Seattle","clubName":"Mariners","active":true},{"springLeague":{"id":114,"name":"Cactus League","link":"/api/v1/league/114","abbreviation":"CL"},"allStarStatus":"N","id":137,"name":"San Francisco Giants","link":"/api/v1/teams/137","season":2023,"venue":{"id":2395,"name":"Oracle Park","link":"/api/v1/venues/2395","location":{"address1":"24 Willie Mays Plaza","city":"San Francisco","state":"California","stateAbbrev":"CA","postalCode":"94107","defaultCoordinates":{"latitude":37.778383,"longitude":-122.389448},"country":"USA","phone":"(415) 972-2000"},"timeZone":{"id":"America/Los_Angeles","offset":-8,"tz":"PST"},"active":true,"season":"2023"},"springVenue":{"id":2532,"link":"/api/v1/venues/2532"},"teamCode":"sfn","fileCode":"sf","abbreviation":"SF","teamName":"Giants","locationName":"San Francisco","firstYearOfPlay":"1883","league":{"id":104,"name":"National League","link":"/api/v1/league/104"},"division":{"id":203,"name":"National League West","link":"/api/v1/divisions/203"},"sport":{"id":1,"link":"/api/v1/sports/1","name":"Major League Baseball"},"shortName":"San Francisco","franchiseName":"San Francisco","clubName":"Giants","active":true},{"springLeague":{"id":115,"name":"Grapefruit League","link":"/api/v1/league/115","abbreviation":"GL"},"allStarStatus":"N","id":138,"name":"St. Louis","clubName":"Cardinals","active":true},{"springLeague":{"id":115,"name":"Grapefruit League","link":"/api/v1/league/115","abbreviation":"GL"},"allStarStatus":"N","id":139,"name":"Tampa Bay Rays","link":"/api/v1/teams/139","season":2023,"venue":{"id":12,"name":"Tropicana Field","link":"/api/v1/venues/12","location":{"address1":"One Tropicana Drive","city":"St. Petersburg","state":"Florida","stateAbbrev":"FL","postalCode":"33705","defaultCoordinates":{"latitude":27.767778,"longitude":-82.6525},"country":"USA","phone":"(727) 825-3137"},"timeZone":{"id":"America/New_York","offset":-5,"tz":"EST"},"active":true,"season":"2023"},"springVenue":{"id":2534,"link":"/api/v1/venues/2534"},"teamCode":"tba","fileCode":"tb","abbreviation":"TB","teamName":"Rays","locationName":"St. Louis","firstYearOfPlay":"1892","league":{"id":104,"name":"National League","link":"/api/v1/league/104"},"division":{"id":205,"name":"National League Central","link":"/api/v1/divisions/205"},"sport":{"id":1,"link":"/api/v1/sports/1","name":"Major League Baseball"},"shortName":"St. Louis","state":"Missouri","stateAbbrev":"MO","postalCode":"63102","defaultCoordinates":{"latitude":38.62256667,"longitude":-90.19286667},"country":"USA","phone":"(314) 345-9600"},"timeZone":{"id":"America/Chicago","offset":-6,"tz":"CST"},"active":true,"season":"2023"},"springVenue":{"id":2520,"link":"/api/v1/venues/2520"},"teamCode":"sln","fileCode":"stl","abbreviation":"STL","teamName":"Cardinals","locationName":"St. For Team Korea, the loss is a huge dent to its goal of moving to the second round for the first time since the 2009 tournament, making Friday’s game against Japan (5 a.m. "When I put the tag on, I knew for a fact that he came off the base. In the bottom of the seventh, pinch-hitter Baekho Kang smashed a one-out double to left field. Suffice to say, he’d definitely never hit a home run that was watched by so many people as he did on Thursday in the World Baseball Classic. Louis Cardinals","link":"/api/v1/teams/138","season":2023,"venue":{"id":2889,"name":"Busch Stadium","link":"/api/v1/venues/2889","location":{"address1":"700 Clark Street","city":"St.

Rob Glendinning and Robbie Perkins' heroics lead Australia to a stunning 8-7 victory over world number four South Korea in their World Baseball Classic ...

They also face hosts Japan and the Czech Republic in their pool. Lots of home runs. And home runs.

Tim Kennelly, Robbie Glendinning and Robbie Perkins all blasted home runs in Tokyo to lift Australia past the heavily fancied Koreans in their opening game of ...

From South Korea's Platinum Glove-caliber middle infield to the Dominican Republic's Murderer's Row lineup, it seems every side competing in baseball's biggest ...

This is the place that gave us The Beatles, The Clash and Pink Floyd. Picture this: you have Nike as your outfitter and have a chance to design a jersey that could stand in the annals of fans' memories going forward. Still, compared to some of the weaker choices of the crop, they're decent. The color is the standout feature. First look of Shohei Ohtani in the Team Japan WBC jersey. Although the canary yellow may be played out, Colombia has always tended to make it work in a sporting setting (for evidence, check out their 2014 World Cup kits). An ornate crown on the chest of the button-up. looks to be the team to beat entering into the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Puerto Rico's jerseys are all of that and then some, paying homage to Castillo San Felipe del Morro, one of the most picturesque sites in all of the country. Admittedly, as with most things in the baseball world, design risks were more subdued this time around. As with any major international sporting event, the WBC offers teams a chance to strut their finest fits with the world watching. Much like a stained-glass mosaic, this year's World Baseball Classic will be chock-full of color.

Australia takes on Korea on Wednesday in the two teams' first Pool B game of the World Baseball Classic.

Robbie Perkins hit one of Australia's three homers to beat South Korea 8-7 on Thursday...

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Australia will take on Korea at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on Wednesday night. With that said, it's a good time to check out our WBC odds series, ...

Edman is the most exciting of the group, finishing a season in which he stole 32 bases and hit 13 home runs, valued at 6.3 WAR according to Baseball Reference. Liam Spence turned in a dominant college career at Tennessee and is now a member of the Chicago Cubs. Korea’s roster is full of stars from the country’s top league, with a couple of big leaguers, current and former, mixed in. Whitefield debuted in 2020 with Minnesota and has failed to register a hit in 12 at-bats. Former big leaguer Dave Nilsson, who hit 100 career home runs, will be the manager of the squad. Australia will take on Korea at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on Wednesday night.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- For Sandor Guido and Team Nicaragua, Wednesday's game against the Mets was no meaningless exhibition. It was 17 years in the making.

Box 4100","city":"Seattle","state":"Washington","stateAbbrev":"WA","postalCode":"98104","defaultCoordinates":{"latitude":47.591333,"longitude":-122.33251},"country":"USA","phone":"(206) 346-4000"},"timeZone":{"id":"America/Los_Angeles","offset":-8,"tz":"PST"},"active":true,"season":"2023"},"springVenue":{"id":2530,"link":"/api/v1/venues/2530"},"teamCode":"sea","fileCode":"sea","abbreviation":"SEA","teamName":"Mariners","locationName":"Seattle","firstYearOfPlay":"1977","league":{"id":103,"name":"American League","link":"/api/v1/league/103"},"division":{"id":200,"name":"American League West","link":"/api/v1/divisions/200"},"sport":{"id":1,"link":"/api/v1/sports/1","name":"Major League Baseball"},"shortName":"Seattle","franchiseName":"Seattle","clubName":"Mariners","active":true},{"springLeague":{"id":114,"name":"Cactus League","link":"/api/v1/league/114","abbreviation":"CL"},"allStarStatus":"N","id":137,"name":"San Francisco Giants","link":"/api/v1/teams/137","season":2023,"venue":{"id":2395,"name":"Oracle Park","link":"/api/v1/venues/2395","location":{"address1":"24 Willie Mays Plaza","city":"San Francisco","state":"California","stateAbbrev":"CA","postalCode":"94107","defaultCoordinates":{"latitude":37.778383,"longitude":-122.389448},"country":"USA","phone":"(415) 972-2000"},"timeZone":{"id":"America/Los_Angeles","offset":-8,"tz":"PST"},"active":true,"season":"2023"},"springVenue":{"id":2532,"link":"/api/v1/venues/2532"},"teamCode":"sfn","fileCode":"sf","abbreviation":"SF","teamName":"Giants","locationName":"San Francisco","firstYearOfPlay":"1883","league":{"id":104,"name":"National League","link":"/api/v1/league/104"},"division":{"id":203,"name":"National League West","link":"/api/v1/divisions/203"},"sport":{"id":1,"link":"/api/v1/sports/1","name":"Major League Baseball"},"shortName":"San Francisco","franchiseName":"San Francisco","clubName":"Giants","active":true},{"springLeague":{"id":115,"name":"Grapefruit League","link":"/api/v1/league/115","abbreviation":"GL"},"allStarStatus":"N","id":138,"name":"St. Louis","clubName":"Cardinals","active":true},{"springLeague":{"id":115,"name":"Grapefruit League","link":"/api/v1/league/115","abbreviation":"GL"},"allStarStatus":"N","id":139,"name":"Tampa Bay Rays","link":"/api/v1/teams/139","season":2023,"venue":{"id":12,"name":"Tropicana Field","link":"/api/v1/venues/12","location":{"address1":"One Tropicana Drive","city":"St. Petersburg","state":"Florida","stateAbbrev":"FL","postalCode":"33705","defaultCoordinates":{"latitude":27.767778,"longitude":-82.6525},"country":"USA","phone":"(727) 825-3137"},"timeZone":{"id":"America/New_York","offset":-5,"tz":"EST"},"active":true,"season":"2023"},"springVenue":{"id":2534,"link":"/api/v1/venues/2534"},"teamCode":"tba","fileCode":"tb","abbreviation":"TB","teamName":"Rays","locationName":"St. Louis","firstYearOfPlay":"1892","league":{"id":104,"name":"National League","link":"/api/v1/league/104"},"division":{"id":205,"name":"National League Central","link":"/api/v1/divisions/205"},"sport":{"id":1,"link":"/api/v1/sports/1","name":"Major League Baseball"},"shortName":"St. Louis","state":"Missouri","stateAbbrev":"MO","postalCode":"63102","defaultCoordinates":{"latitude":38.62256667,"longitude":-90.19286667},"country":"USA","phone":"(314) 345-9600"},"timeZone":{"id":"America/Chicago","offset":-6,"tz":"CST"},"active":true,"season":"2023"},"springVenue":{"id":2520,"link":"/api/v1/venues/2520"},"teamCode":"sln","fileCode":"stl","abbreviation":"STL","teamName":"Cardinals","locationName":"St. Stuck in a group with the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Israel, Nicaragua is widely expected to finish fourth or fifth. One day, he would like for Nicaragua to compete against them as peers in the Caribbean Series. The appetizer was a trip on Wednesday to Clover Park, where Team Nicaragua faced about the stiffest test imaginable: an exhibition against Max Scherzer and the Mets. Then the 2021 WBC was postponed due to COVID, leaving Nicaragua -- a baseball-mad country of more than 6 million people -- still waiting to show what it could do on an international stage. -- For Sandor Guido and Team Nicaragua, Wednesday’s game against the Mets was no meaningless exhibition. It was 17 years in the making. Louis Cardinals","link":"/api/v1/teams/138","season":2023,"venue":{"id":2889,"name":"Busch Stadium","link":"/api/v1/venues/2889","location":{"address1":"700 Clark Street","city":"St.

Rob Glendinning and Robbie Perkins blasted three-run homers to lead Australia to a 8-7 win over South Korea in the World Baseball Classic.

We’ve won a gold medal in the World Cup previously,” he said. We’ve won a silver medal in Olympics. Very strange game. “Very tough game. [Tweet from @WBCBaseball] Glendinning stepped up with with two teammates on base and South Korea leading by two runs in the top of the seventh innings at the Tokyo Dome on Thursday.

With an earthshaking selection of superstars from around the globe, MLB believes its vision of a baseball World Cup is starting to come into focus.

For Puerto Rico, the WBC represents a pinnacle of sports and as a result, players and fans treat the event with reverence. "This is the most waited-for event in Puerto Rico," Diaz said. "Before we can grow the MLB brand, we need to have the underlying sport of baseball to be more popular," Small said. "I'm hoping we can inspire coaches, and then from here, we can develop a player who makes it to the major leagues," Carroll said. For many American pitchers who are closing in on a big contract or are already being paid big money to be an ace for a World Series contender, ramping up for the World Baseball Classic is a bridge too far. The hope is that such a high-level competition -- not to mention some national pride -- will get fans around the world more invested in MLB's star players -- and more likely to become hooked into Major League Baseball itself. Insurance coverage would protect teams from having to pay a player for time missed because of an injury from the tournament. DESPITE THE FOCUS on new rules this spring to attract younger national audiences, the biggest area of growth for Major League Baseball isn't in the United States. The enthusiasm surrounding this WBC is of special interest to Major League Baseball, which has made the event a central part of its growing international ambitions. [Its starting lineup could be the best ever assembled](/mlb/insider/story/_/id/35761554/how-wbc-lineups-compare-best-mlb), with 57 total All-Star Games and five MVP trophies on the roster, the most for an American team in the WBC since the inaugural event in 2006. "Many of the best American players viewed themselves as bigger than the WBC." The victory also marked a sea of change in how American-born players view the event.

Australia delivered the first major upset of the 2023 World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night. The Aussies pulled off an 8-7 win over South Korea inside ...

Italy is the only team in Pool A yet to play a World Baseball Classic game. The 12-run outburst should Panama in tiebreaker situations, if Pool A comes down to runs scored or runs allowed. It produced three runs in the bottom of the eighth to get within one run. Xander Bogaerts and Jurickson Profar, stars for Netherlands today, say the Dutch team is like family — like a group of brothers. Oh, and there ARE three sets of brothers on the team. Perkins' three-run shot turned out to be the difference-maker on the scoreboard.

The 2023 @WBCBaseball is off to a thrilling, unpredictable start.@MLBNetwork @MLB The Netherlands should be viewed as the front-runner to get out of Pool A after victories over Panama and Cuba, who were viewed as the two other tough teams in the five-team group. The Netherlands' second victory in the tournament put them in a fantastic position to advance out of Pool A. South Korea had its chance to take back control of the game.

Australia has a navigable path to the second round. Over in Pool A, the Netherlands are in great shape to be one of the two teams headed to the final eight.

TOKYO (AP) — Robbie Perkins hit one of Australia's three homers to beat South Korea 8-7 on Thursday in Group B at the Tokyo Dome.

Jurickson Profar added to the lead in the fifth with another one-run home run. South Korea added another run in the sixth. Australia, leading 5-4 in the top of the eighth, put the game away with a three-run shot by Perkins.

Shohei Ohtani allowed one hit in the four innings he pitched, struck out five and was the winning pitcher in Japan's 8-1 victory over China in Group B at ...

Cuba picked up one in the bottom of the 10th. Brett Sullivan’s sacrifice in the sixth scored Sal Frelick and gave Italy a 1-0 lead. Jurickson Profar added to the lead in the fifth with another one-run home run. South Korea added another run in the sixth. Australia, leading 5-4 in the top of the eighth, put the game away with a three-run shot by Perkins. Besides Ohtani, the fan favorite was Lars Nootbaar of the St.

Welcome to the Sho! Ohtani with a 2-run double and Japan now leads 3-0! : FS1 and the FOX Sports App.

[pic.twitter.com/sXy7T5iYfb] [March 9, 2023] [Robbie Glendinning](/mlb/players/2921564/robbie-glendinning/) hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh, giving Australia a 5-4 lead. [Mariners](https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/SEA/seattle-mariners/) righty [Matt Festa](/mlb/players/2822697/matt-festa/) earned both the win and a blown save across two innings of work. [MLB](/mlb/) players. [Padres](https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/SD/san-diego-padres/) catcher [Brett Sullivan's](/mlb/players/2447463/brett-sullivan/) sacrifice fly. Panama would cut that margin in half in the sixth inning on an Erasmo Caballero single, but Bogaerts scored on a wild pitch in the eighth to give the Netherlands another run, and more than enough breathing room to nail down the victory. Netherlands is part of Pool A, alongside the aforementioned Cuba and Panama teams, as well as Italy and host Chinese Taipei. Korea took a lead of its own in the bottom of the fifth, as Euiji Yang launched a three-run home run. Unfortunately, their luck ran out from there, with Edman making the final out on a stolen-base attempt at second base. Tim Kennelly launched a solo home run in the subsequent inning to extend the Australia lead to 2-0. Cuba in the WBC.— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) Cuba would answer back in the bottom of the eighth. The 2023 World Baseball Classic kicked off on Wednesday with the first two games of Pool A play in Taichung, Taiwan and continued on Thursday.

Australia sent shockwaves across the sport Wednesday night as they took down Team Korea in Pool B play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic...

South Korea extended that lead to 4-2 with a run in the sixth inning before Robbie Glendinning unleashed the biggest hit of the game when he blasted a three-run home run in the top of the seventh to give Australia the lead for good. Australia got on the board first with a run in the fourth inning and then a homer pushed them to a 2-0 lead in the fifth frame. [gushed at the outcome](https://twitter.com/KyleAGlaser/status/1633724039280885761) of the game as well, calling it the first shocker of the tournament: “Wow.

All eyes in Japan are on the Tokyo Dome as Team Japan -- arguably the strongest team in this tournament -- begins its chase for its third World Baseball ...

The game will be of vital importance to each team: The top four countries in every pool will automatically gain entry into the 2026 World Baseball Classic and not need to play in the qualifiers. China was even able to cut into the celebratory atmosphere in the Tokyo Dome and turn it into one of uneasy apprehension when they got on the board in the sixth inning. And with such a unreal talent on the mound and in the lineup, Team Japan was heavily favored and was expected to steamroll its Chinese competition -- but that was far from the case. It was just the fourth home run hit by Team China in the World Baseball Classic, and the first since team legend Ray Chang homered against Chinese Taipei in 2009. Most of the Chinese roster plays in the Chinese National Baseball League, which has been paused since the end of the 2019 season due to COVID-19. It somehow grew louder when he stepped out to the mound, before falling to a nearly silent hush as he stared in for his first pitch.

Shohei Ohtani allowed one hit in the four innings he pitched, struck out five and was the winning pitcher in Japan's 8-1 victory over China in Group B at ...

ByungHo Park had RBI double in the sixth that made it 4-2, a play originally called a home run before an umpire review. In the other Group B game, Robbie Perkins and Robert Glendinning hit three-run homers to lead Australia over South Korea 8-7. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbar singled leading off and loser Xiang Wang walked three straight batters, including two-time Central League MVP Munetaka Murakami with the bases loaded. Lorenzo Quintana pulled Cuba to 2-1 in the bottom half with an RBI single against Vinny Nittoli, and Erisbel Arruebarrena hit a tying single in the eighth off winner Matt Festa that drove in Alfredo Despaigne. Brett Sullivan hit a go-ahead sacrifice fy in the sixth off Naykel Cruz and Miles Mastrobuoni added an RBI double in the seventh against Liván Moinelo. Glendinning homered off loser Won Jung Kim in the seventh and Perkins against Hyeon-Jong Yang in the eighth

If there's a "Group of Death" in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, it has to be Pool D. With powerhouses Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico all in ...

[Ronald Acuña Jr.](https://www.mlb.com/player/660670) and [Jose Altuve](https://www.mlb.com/player/514888), who give Venezuela its best 1-2 punch in tournament history. In the bullpen, elite Mets closer [Edwin Díaz](https://www.mlb.com/player/621242) will be ready to finish off games. Behind Kremer, Israel has a couple of other big league pitchers in [Richard Bleier](https://www.mlb.com/player/542947) (Red Sox), [Jake Fishman](https://www.mlb.com/player/670288) (A’s) and [Robert Stock](https://www.mlb.com/player/476594) (Brewers). [without Carlos Correa](https://www.mlb.com/news/carlos-correa-world-baseball-classic-2023-decision), Puerto Rico has plenty of star power heading into the tournament. [Martín Maldonado](https://www.mlb.com/player/455117) gives Puerto Rico an advantage behind the plate with his elite game calling -- a skill mastered by the club’s manager, Yadier Molina. [Brewers prospect Carlos Rodriguez](https://www.mlb.com/prospects/brewers/carlos-rodriguez-692230), who has a notable shimmy on the mound, is another name to keep an eye on. [Sandy Alcantara](https://www.mlb.com/player/645261), the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, giving the country its first true ace in any of the competitions. Now, the Nicaraguan squad will look to make some noise in its first taste of the Classic. [Dean Kremer](https://www.mlb.com/player/665152) will be the team’s ace and will get the ball in the opener against Nicaragua on Sunday. Team Israel made its Classic debut in '17 and instantly became the Cinderella story of the tournament, going undefeated and winning Pool A. Oh, and reigning World Series MVP [Jeremy Peña](https://www.mlb.com/player/665161) might not even start every game at shortstop; that’s how loaded this team is. In the bullpen, the D.R.

For all of the young players watching the World Baseball Classic, please make sure you take time before you celebrate. Korean infielder Baek-ho Kang gave a ...

"(Glendinning) was the one responsible for the whole play ... Having a play like this occur only darkens the storm clouds. It was a big turning point in the game, and he let the dugout know what had happened, so that's just a great moment by a great player." Korean infielder Baek-ho Kang gave a crash course in the importance of doing so in Korea's first game of the World Baseball Classic. I think the replay might have shown it pretty clear. After the play, Glendinning appealed.

Let's take a look at 10 names to watch whom you probably already know and 10 names you can learn now to fully enjoy the splendor of the WBC.

Several teams pulled out exceptional threads for the World Baseball Classic, including Australia, Mexico and more.

[#WorldBaseballClassic] [pic.twitter.com/M6uDg1xU2z] [March 7, 2023] [pic.twitter.com/kuVKTob75L] [March 7, 2023] [@MikeTrout] [pic.twitter.com/i3E33j6dbH] [March 7, 2023] [pic.twitter.com/BGQ3eVCZzp] [March 7, 2023] (Dominican Republic) [Ronald Acuna Jr](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/36185/ronald-acuna-jr). [pic.twitter.com/QW12mLKrVn] [March 7, 2023] [will participate](/mlb/story/_/id/35625822/angels-mike-trout-shohei-ohtani-stars-wbc-rosters). [Mookie Betts](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/33039/mookie-betts) (USA), [Juan Soto](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/36969/juan-soto) (Dominican Republic), [Vladimir Guerrero Jr](https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/35002/vladimir-guerrero-jr). Each team and its players dressed for the occasion with impressive uniform combinations. [World Baseball Classic](/world-baseball-classic/) is back after a six-year hiatus. [pic.twitter.com/5zW0MHs9S0] [March 5, 2023] The tournament [begins](/mlb/story?_slug_=fox-networks-televise-2023-world-baseball-classic-us&id=34847898) Wednesday in Taiwan, which is still Tuesday in the United States.

Japan and Shohei Ohtani started their WBC journey on Thursday in Tokyo with the Angels two-way superstar leading the way to a win. Team USA, looking to defend ...

0 There are a couple of jam-packed days of international baseball ahead, with games starting at different times across the globe. From there, it's a single-elimination bracket style tournament with the championship game set for Tuesday, March 21 in Miami. Team USA, looking to defend its title after winning it all in 2017, will begin WBC play on Saturday against Great Britain in Phoenix. Japan and Shohei Ohtani started their WBC journey on Thursday in Tokyo with the Angels two-way superstar leading the way to a win.

Japan's Shohei Ohtani led his nation to a 8-1 victory over China with a two-run-double and four shutout innings, while Italy defeated Cuba 6-3 at the 2023 ...

Dominic Fletcher guided Italy to victory in the top of the 10th, doubling on a sharp line drive to right field and also scoring to give Italy a win in their first match. Italy started off with a 2-0 lead, but Cuba were able to tie the game as Erisbel Arruebarrena and Alfredo Despaigne were able to score to force extra innings. In the other match, Italy were able to defeat Cuba 6-3 after scoring four runs in extra innings at the Taichung Stadium in Taiwan in a Pool A head-to-head.