Category: Baseball

The Athletics offense picked up where it left off yesterday, taking advantage of the dry, hot Arizona air to bash four home runs in a 12-1 rout over the Kansas City Royals. This afternoon showed why the A’s could be a dangerous team this season: multiple hitters throughout the lineup can change a game with one swing, provided the pitching keeps them within striking distance.

Left-hander Jacob Lopez made his second start of the spring and looked sharp. Facing a Royals lineup missing most of its regulars, Lopez cruised through four scoreless, hitless innings, while striking out seven. He looks healthy and close to ready for the season, although it would be nice to see him face more MLB batters in his next Cactus League outing. If Lopez carries this form into the regular season, he could raise the ceiling of the A’s rotation.

The relievers who followed Lopez pitched well, with Tyler Ferguson the lone exception after allowing the R0yals’ only two hits and lone run. Offseason acquisition Scott Barlow struck out four of the five batters he faced. Later in the game, non-roster invitees Wander Suero and Joel Kuhnel each tossed a scoreless inning. Both are likely headed to Triple-A to start the year, but either could be promoted if the team needs bullpen depth.

Shea Langeliers was not only guiding the pitching staff behind the plate, but providing the fireworks at the plate as well. Langeliers faced Kansas City’s pitcher Ryan Berget three times and each time the result was the same: a solo home run. He now has six home runs this spring, the most of any hitter across the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues.

Quite the day for Shea Langeliers… pic.twitter.com/jA58hHaSQU

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) March 15, 2026

Reports circulated this offseason about the A’s showing interest in an extension with both Langeliers and Nick Kurtz, though neither player has reached an agreement yet. Given the lack of minor league catching prospects in the organization, it would make sense for A’s general manager David Forst to keep those conversations going in Langeliers’ case.

Kurtz also went deep in the fourth inning, hitting a solo shot immediately ahead of Langeliers as the A’s went back-to-back. Center fielder Henry Bolte contributed earlier with an RBI single in the second.

The A’s jumped out to a 5-0 lead, a score that would not change until the seventh inning, when the Royals finally got on the scoreboard. Having limited the Royals to one run, the A’s responded with two runs in the seventh and five in the eighth to put this game firmly out of reach.

Third baseman Tommy White and shortstop Leo De Vries both contributed once again, this time off the bench. White is now batting .500 this spring after collecting two more hits and two RBIs. De Vries is not far behind, as the 19-year-old is batting .400 after singling and later hitting a two-run double. Having turned 19 in October, De Vries appears on track to make his MLB debut well before his 21st birthday. If he continues playing this well, De Vries could force his way into the conversation this summer, which will cause an infield logjam that the A’s will have to deal with when the time comes.

Here’s how the box score looked today:

A’S TODAY (3/14)
C Langeliers: 3-3, 3 HR
1B Kurtz: 1-3, HR
RF Marlowe: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB, R
SS De Vries: 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
3B White: 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI
LF Soderstrom: 1-2, 2B, BB
LHP Lopez: 4 IP/0 H/0 ER/1 BB/7 K/Win
RHP Barlow: 1.2 IP/0 H/0 ER/1 BB/4 K
A’s win 12-1

— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) March 14, 2026

The Athletics will aim to keep the bats rolling tomorrow against the Cleveland Guardians. Right-hander Jack Perkins will toe the rubber for the A’s, looking to improve on his last outing as he vies for a spot in the team’s rotation or bullpen. The Guardians will counter with arguably their best pitcher, right-hander Tanner Bibee. It should be another fun Cactus League matchup in sunny Arizona between two teams looking to exceed expectations this season.

1903
Possibly the weirdest roster snafus in a single season continue, as Harry Gleason (brother of future White Sox manager Kid Gleason) is signed by Chicago — but chooses to report to his former team, the Boston Red Sox (née Americans), instead!

The comedy of outlaw-player errors began when George Davis, after having doubled his salary by signing with the White Sox, jumping from the National (New York) to American (Chicago) League during the war between the leagues, chose to break his deal and remain with the Giants. That forced the White Sox to shift Lee Tannehill from third base to shortstop to cover … and opened a need at third base.

Gleason was the solution. He was no start, but was a warm body, and available for purchase from Boston. However, Gleason defied the sale and reported to his former team for spring training. It’s hard to determine whether his six games played for Boston in April-May 1903 were due to legal wrangling over his rights or the fact that he was a lousy player, but Gleason never showed up to play in Chicago.

As a result, it was Nixey Callahan that would man the hot corner for the White Sox in 1903, despite playing as a two-way pitcher-outfielder in 1902 and having logged just eight career games at third base over the first seven seasons in the majors. Callahan played in 102 games at third base for the White Sox, with 37 errors and an .895 fielding percentage (those numbers being a sign of the rocky-infield, worn-baseball, baby-gloved times, Nixey compiled 0.1 defensive WAR for those efforts and a 3.0 WAR season overall — not bad for an emergency insertion).

Coincidentally, on the day after this, Callahan was named White Sox player-manager.

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1945
Due to World War II travel limits, the White Sox open spring training in Indiana, along with the St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Cubs. More MLB teams end up training in Indiana than any other location.

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1959
Future Hall-of-Famer and White Sox fan favorite, Harold Baines, is born, in Easton, Md. Baines was famously “scouted” at age 12, while in Little League, by Bill Veeck, who would in 1977 make Baines the only No. 1 overall draft choice in White Sox history to actually suit up for the team. Traded to Texas on July 30, 1989, Baines was so beloved in Chicago that his No. 3 jersey was retired by the White Sox on his next visit to Chicago with the Rangers, on August 20. (Only Phil Niekro and Frank Robinson have had numbers retired while still active players.) Baines, of course, also returned to the White Sox on two occasions as a free agent, and then served in various coaching roles with the team for a decade, and remains with the club in an ambassador role.

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1971
The White Sox sent catcher Art Kusyner to California for reliever Steve Kealey and catcher Dave Adlesh. Kealey had two strong bullpen seasons for the White Sox, with a 3.61 ERA and 1.2 WAR over 94 games in 1971-72. His 1973 was a disaster on the South Side, however, with -0.8 WAR and a 15.09 ERA in just seven games before being dispatched in trade to Cincinnati. Adlesh retired, and yet somehow still gave the White Sox the better end of the backstop swap, as Kusyner played three increasingly-disastrous seasons with the Angels, totaling -1.5 WAR. “Cave” would return to the White Sox as a longtime bullpen coach for the club.

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1976
After stepping in at the last minute to buy the franchise and prevent them from being moved to Seattle, Bill Veeck appears on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The headline read, “Baseball Couldn’t Shut Him Out.” Veeck owned the team for five years in his second stint — longer than his more storied tenure with the Go-Go White Sox.

Originally the other owners voted down Veeck’s bid, demanding that he change financial ownership terms in it. Amazingly, Veeck somehow got it done, and he was approved to purchase the White Sox.

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2016
One of the most bizarre stories in the long, bizarre history of the White Sox breaks, as rumors circulate that Adam LaRoche will retire rather allow his young son Drake be subject to the supposed indignity of a partial ban from the clubhouse.

LaRoche signed a two-year, $25 million deal with Chicago before the 2015 season, supposedly in part because the club assured him that Drake would be able to serve as the de facto team mascot. Perhaps that was an easy promise to make to a slugger coming off of an excellent 26-homer, 82-walk, 2.4-WAR season in Washington. But after LaRoche crapped the bed in 2015 with a pathetic campaign (12 homers, 49 walks, -0.5 WAR), his flex had sagged. Couple that with multiple players (including a true clubhouse leader, newcomer Jimmy Rollins) stunned over the fact that he was lockering across from a young child day-in, day-out, and the White Sox forced LaRoche to make a choice: play daddy all day, or treat your job as if his $13 million salary for 2016 was riding on it.

LaRoche chose to forfeit $13 million and walk away from the game rather than subject his son to limitations on his MLB Spring Training freedom. LaRoche would make his ludicrous retirement official on March 18.

Meet the Mets

Yesterday the Mets placed Justin Hagenman on the 60-day injured list with a rib fracture. In a corresponding move, the Mets claimed familiar face Dicky Lovelady off waivers from the Nationals and added him to the roster.

David Stearns is demonstrating that he has learned lessons from the failures of 2025, writes Laura Albanese of Newsday.

Mark Vientos’ numbers this spring—both in Mets camp and with Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic—have not been pretty. But he’s not stressed about it.

First round draft pick Mitch Voit got his first spring training start last night—and his first hit to boot.

Around the National League East

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler continues to progress in his rehab and today’s milestone (facing live hitting for the first time) came with his family in attendance.

Kyle Stowers, who had been rehabbing a hamstring strain, started in left field and batted leadoff for the Marlins in yesterday’s Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Around Major League Baseball

Wilyer Abreu’s sixth inning three-run homer lifted Venezuela to a stunning 8-5 victory over Japan, handing the defending champions their worst ever result in a World Baseball Classic.

Italy staved off Puerto Rico 8-6 to advance to the semi-finals in the World Baseball Classic.

Team USA’s World Baseball Classic hopes now lay in the hands of ace Paul Skenes, who faces off against the fearsome Dominican Republic lineup tonight.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Linda Surovich previewed Tobias Myers’ season.

This Date in Mets History

Since we’re in a World Baseball Classic year this year, we’ll take a look back at the 2009 World Baseball Classic when on March 15, South Korea pummeled Mexico 8-2 partially at the expense of former Mets Oliver Perez, Elmer Dessens, and Luis Ayala.

On the surface, Kyle Tucker has struggled at the plate when only accounting for his batting average (.200, 3-15), but he has demonstrated great patience at the plate.

Tucker has only appeared in eight games so far this spring, as he missed a generous amount of time to tend to his wife for the birth of their newborn son. He demonstrated his “dad strength” on Friday by launching his first home run in a Dodgers uniform, but his value hasn’t come from his bat; it’s from his vision.

Tucker has walked six times compared to only two strikeouts. Combine those free passes with a hit by pitch, and Tucker has reached base in nearly half of his 22 plate appearances, good for a .455 on-base percentage. And that is exactly what Dave Roberts expects out of Tucker; to get on base at a consistent rate and set the table for the rest of the star hitters to follow, writes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

“For me, I just see him as a guy if he gets on base, however he gets on base, that’s the biggest – that’s something we’re looking for and something we’re counting on,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the role he envisions for Kyle Tucker. “Having Mookie (Betts) and Freddie (Freeman) behind him and Will (Smith) – if he’s a guy who gets on base at a high, high clip, then everything else will kind of fall into place.”

Links

Although Kiké Hernández was unable to participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic for Team Puerto Rico, he remarked on participating in the tournament is more significant than playing in the World Series, per Jack Vita of the Los Angeles Times.

“I said it feels bigger,” Hernández said. “I didn’t say it’s bigger. Atmosphere, crowd, you’re representing your country. You’re not representing a city. You don’t always choose who you play for. Sometimes that’s out of your control and you know, when you’re representing your country, you’re playing along with your homies. Sometimes you’re playing along with people that you grew up with. Your people back home are rooting for you, at times.”

Sonja Chen of MLB.com breaks down what to expect from the Dodgers as they enter their final week of Cactus League play, with one subject in particular to monitor being the competition for the starting second base job to begin the season. Chen notes that it’s a two-horse race between Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland, with the former clearly leading the way.

Kim went 6-for-13 (.462) in four Cactus League games, but he was only 1-for-12 with a home run in the Classic. Freeland has shown some impressive plate discipline, but perhaps a tad too much. He’s drawn 10 walks but hit only 4-for-31 (.129) in 14 games. As Roberts sees it, the competition “hasn’t changed a whole lot” since Kim left.

Thanks very much to those of you who said kind things. You are appreciated. I’m staying off the boards for now, or I’d say so directly.

Another game with no TV. Jonathon Long legitimized the lineup. Carson Kelly manned first base. Moises Ballesteros was behind the dish. Ah, Spring Training.

Game results: Colorado 4, Chicago 3. A walk-off.

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• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ Justin Steele throws to hitters for first time since elbow surgery: ‘Very productive day’. “Steele underwent an internal brace procedure last April.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball*): The Cubs gambled on a healthy Hunter Harvey this winter. They’re winning. “The team spent substantial money on the high-upside arm, though, and so far, their investment is looking sound.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Is Dansby Swanson’s offseason work already paying off? “The hard part about change is sticking with them,” manager Craig Counsell said.
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ Nico Hoerner taking different approach to generating power. “A lot of it is what you swing at pitch-wise,” Hoerner said.

Food For Thought:

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Scottsdale, Ariz. — Tanner Gordon is in his third spring training with the Colorado Rockies and is in the mix for the fifth starter spot alongside Chase Dollander, Ryan Feltner and Antonio Senzatela. Gordon had a remarkable 2025 campaign and is looking to build on that in 2026. 

“[There’s] a lot of good energy around the clubhouse and good energy in the hallways,” Gordon said. “Obviously, with a new regime, there’s always going to be a new taste to everything. So it’s been good. [The] energy levels are really high.”

Like many other pitchers, Gordon is working on some new pitches. A few weeks ago, he mentioned he was working on a two-seam fastball. 

“It’s going (well),” he said. “I try to throw it in catch play as much as I can. It’s a one-seamer, technically, but it still moves the same way as a two-seamer. I’m just trying to mess with it as much as I possibly can.”

Gordon is also working to refine the pitches already in his arsenal, namely, “the slider, the cutter, mixing up a different changeup grip, so it almost has two different shapes.”

Since this has been something new pitching coach Alon Leichman has preached this spring, it’s not surprising that Gordon is also expanding his pitch mix. And so far, Gordon is liking the new staff and what they bring to the table.

“I think they’re great,” he said. “I think they bring a lot of knowledge to us, and definitely different viewpoints from what we’ve had in the past.

“And they’re able to relay more advanced things and make it easy for us to understand,” he continued. “Nobody wants to be out on the field thinking about a million things or be thinking about some super complex idea. So they simplify things and just make it easy for us (so) we can just go out there and play.”

Leichman has also passed along a new philosophy for the pitching staff.

“He just wants us to fill up the strike zone as much as we possibly can,” Gordon said. “3-2 strikes, and then go for the kill when we have two strikes, so it takes a lot of thinking off our plate.

“As a starter, you go through the lineup a few times,” he continued, “so you kind of have to start having to pitch the second and third time through, but just be on the attack the whole time. And I’ve thought of it that way, but it wasn’t my whole philosophy going into it.”

While the players are exploring expanded arsenals, Leichman has also experimented with calling pitches from the dugout. Some pitchers, like Ryan Feltner, are all for it. Gordon isn’t quite sure yet, but acknowledged, “What he’s said makes sense.”

“He has the scouting report right in front of him. He can look at it in real time and call what he wants,” he said. 

“Then there’s also the game aspect of you being in the game and feeling out what you want to throw,” Gordon continued. “And there are probably going to be some times where, say, he calls a pitch and I don’t feel like that’s the right pitch for me. I don’t feel comfortable throwing that pitch. I want to throw this pitch. Then I’ll just call it off and throw the pitch I want to throw. And that’s what a lot of the guys talk about, too. I’m not leaning to one side of it.”

Gordon is also leaning on the veteran pitchers for support on and off the field.

“I worked out with [Kyle] Freeland all offseason here in Scottsdale,” he said. “And then when [Michael] Lorenzen came in, he’s super easy to talk to. He’s an open book. He’s helped me a ton, not even with baseball but also off the field – what he does for recovery, all that kind of stuff, and his mindset on that.”

But most of all, he’s finishing up camp with the goal to “remain consistent and control what [he] can control.”

“Obviously, there’s a bunch of new starters that we signed,” he said. “So keep the blinders on and have fun, enjoy spring training but also know that I have a job to do and we as a whole organization have a job to do moving forward.”

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To Read (Rockpiles)

• Monday: Matt Buschmann brings a strong understanding of workload management to a young Rockies bullpen | Sam Bradfield
• Tuesday: Jeff Pickler joins the Rockies “Mile High Baseball Nerd Club” | Renee Dechert
• Wednesday: The Rockies have a chance to finally put “playing better” into practice | Skyler Timmins
• Thursday: Rockies buck tradition of camp starting at dawn | Cory Cohen
• Friday: ‘A rude awakening’: How Rockies prospects prepare for and learn from 1st MLB seasons | Joelle Milholm
• Saturday: The Rockies’ Opening Day lineups: A history of streaks, oddities, and change | James Riggenbach

To Read (State of the Position)

Full Stream

• Bullpen: The Rockies bullpen has velocity, intrigue and a lot to prove after a brutal 2025 | James Riggenbach
• Outfield: What will the Colorado Rockies outfield look like in 2026? | Renee Dechert
• Designated Hitter & Bench: The Rockies can use a consistent DH and a versatile bench for improvement and evaluation | Zeke Perez
• Shortstop: Can Ezequiel Tovar anchor the Rockies at shortstop? | James Riggenbach
• Third Base: Kyle Karros looks to extend Rockies streak of stability at third base | Cory Cohen

To Read (Other)

• Roster News: Rockies injury updates: March 9, 2026 | Sam Bradfield
• Purple Row After Dark:An analysis of the Colorado Rockies new hype video | Renee Dechert
• MLB Previews: National League Central 2026 Preview | Zeke Perez
• Staff Feature: Will John Brebbia grow on the Colorado Rockies? | Renee Dechert

Weekend Discussion Topics

What storylines are you watching closest in the final weeks of spring training? Who do you think will be on the Opening Day roster? Let us know in the comments!

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MIAMI — They started to trudge of the clubhouse at 1:23 a.m. Sunday, their heads down, eyes glazed, mostly staring straight ahead.

The large contingent of reporters, perhaps 100 in all, waited behind a rope in the mixed zone in the corridor of loanDepot Park, and at 1:31 a.m., Shohei Ohtani came out of the door and stopped to talk.

It was a strange sensation for Ohtani, a feeling he knew that was inevitable, but he wasn’t prepared for it right now.

The pain was raw.

For the first time in years, after winning two World Series titles and two MVPs with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani finally lost.

Japan, the three-time and defending WBC champion, who had won 11 consecutive games since 2017, was eliminated.

The Japanese were stunned by Venezuela, 8-5, and for the first time in the tournament’s 20-year history, they will not be in the semifinals.

Ohtani, the game's biggest global star, was left answering questions while he could hear Venezuela still celebrating down the hall.

“All I can say is that it’s really frustrating," Ohtani said. “It was the kind of game where we had chances to win. It wasn’t like we were completely overwhelmed from start to finish. I think there were definitely moments where we had opportunities to win. …

“We showed what we do well, but in the end, they overpowered us."

Ohtani once again had a phenomenal showing, hitting .462 with three homers and seven RBI in 13 at-bats, producing a .611 on-base percentage and 1.231 slugging percentage, with his only two strikeouts coming Saturday.

He was the one who responded immediately to Ronald Acuńa Jr.’s leadoff homer off Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a homer of his own in the first inning. Yet, unlike the 2023 WBC when he clinched Japan’s title by striking out Angels teammate Mike Trout, he ended this game by hitting a lazy pop-up to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar.

Japan’s WBC reign expired and there will be a new champion, with the USA, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Italy still alive in the tournament.

Ohtani, wearing a gray suit with headphones around his neck, clutching a baseball glove behind his back, talked about that empty feeling.

“Of course it was a wonderful experience," he said, “but if you don’t win it all, then in a sense it’s a failure. That’s probably what the result comes down to.

“Everyone was working only toward winning the championship: the manager, the staff, the people behind the scenes. Everyone was aiming for that. So, it’s very disappointing for it to end like this."

Maybe it would have been different if he could have pitched in the WBC. Japan’s bullpen couldn’t stop Venezuela, turning a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning into an 7-5 deficit one inning later.

“We didn’t have an option for Ohtani to pitch from the middle of the game," Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata said, “so I don't think I would have known what would have happened. But, of course, I would have wanted him to play.

“But I didn't have a choice.’’

The Dodgers and Ohtani decided before the WBC that he would be strictly used as a DH and not pitch. It wasn’t worth the risk while preparing for his first full season as a pitcher since undergoing elbow surgery in 2023.

So Ibata was left uncomfortably answering questions about why he pulled Yoshinobu Yamamto before 80 pitches, Japan’s bullpen struggles, its inability to score in 6 ⅓ innings against Venezuela’s bullpen, and how it was possible to cough up a 5-2 lead.

“After we scored five,’’ Ohtani said, “I thought they showed a lot of grit on the mound. They were excellent."

The victory not only vaulted Venezuela into the WBC semifinals for the first time, but allowed them to qualify for the 2028 Olympics.

“My country right now is celebrating,’’ Venezuela manager Omar Lopez said. “It's extremely happy. It's on the streets. They're drinking right now, and that makes me happier than anybody else in this world, because this is the only thing that I can do. This is the only thing that I can do for my country.

"That's the only thing that I'm going to take back home. And 20 years from now, I'll remember I made my country happy at least for one or two days. That's all I need."

Who knows, maybe the two teams will meet again at the 2028 Olympics at Dodger Stadium, where Japan can have a little payback.

“In international competition, of course you want another chance,’’ Ohtani said, “whether you call it revenge or a new challenge. I don’t know in what form I myself will be able to play next time, but when that opportunity comes, I want to focus on it again."

Ohtani knows there are plenty of great players still on their way from Japan, and by the time the Olympics rolls around, they could return to being that super power.

“Even with many young players on the roster," he said, “I got the sense that the overall level – both pitching and hitting – is continuing to rise. I feel that every year.

“There are a lot of players I’m excited about for the future. And with new players coming in as well, I’d be happy if the overall level of baseball continues to improve."

Japanese officials cut off further questions. It was time to leave. The bus was waiting to take the team back to the hotel, where they had planned to stay until after the championship game Tuesday night, and not be packing their bags to leave town Sunday.

Ohtani will head back to Arizona to rejoin his Dodgers teammates, likely start in at least one spring training game, and then be ready for the 2026 season. There’s the World Series flag ceremony on Opening Day March 26 at Dodger Stadium, a ring ceremony March 27, and he could be making his season debut that weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He says he’ll look ahead, knowing there’s nothing he can do about the past.

He’s got another World Series championship to win, and a long grueling season ahead to erase the sting of the WBC.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani, Japan fail in World Baseball Classic vs Venezuela

Well the pitching has been an injury mess this spring, but it must be said that in general, pretty much everyone who has stayed healthy on the pitching and hitting side have performed at or above expectation so far. If this team’s offense can really get going again and the bullpen is elite as it has the chance to be, the lack of starting pitching depth to start the season won’t hurt as badly, particularly if Chris Sale and Spencer Strider are healthy and humming. That’s a lot of ifs, but this team does still have significant talent.

Braves News

Ronald Acuna hit a leadoff homer for Venezuela against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Japan in a heavyweight WBC clash that Venezuela eventually won.

Matt Olson homered and Bryce Elder had a solid day, as the Braves notched another Spring Training win.

MLB News

The Reds are taking the cautious route with top prospect Chase Burns and pulling back his spring workload.

Angels’ Robert Stephenson has potential UCL damage and may need surgery.

Japanese stars Hiromi Itoh and Teruaki Sato are expected to be posted by their NBP teams next offseason.

Italy defeated Puerto Rico, advancing to the WBC semifinal against Venezuela.

Wait, what? That’s me whenever I see a list of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball that doesn’t include the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the top three — or not until No. 7, like MLB Network’s did.

It’s hard to believe there are professional ball-watchers who want us to believe there are a handful of pitchers better than the Dodgers’ righty who's steadily filling the fingers on his hand with championship rings.

Respectfully, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler and Atlanta Braves’ Chris Sale are great. So are the Philadelphia Phillies’ Christopher Sánchez and Boston Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet.

But they’re not greater than Yamamoto.

I’m not saying criminally underrating someone like Yamamoto should be prosecutable, I’m just wondering why anyone would?

“It could have something to do with him not throwing 100 like some other guys,” Dodgers pitcher Ben Casparius said. “But just in terms of pure pitching and what he’s able to do and where he’s able to locate certain pitches and how he’s able to read the hitters?”

Read more:Blake Snell throws first bullpen session of spring training, taking key step forward

Elite.

“In our eyes, I would for sure say Yamamoto is very underrated,” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “I think what goes into your role as a player is your willingness to win, whatever you'll do to win. I don’t have to go back to the World Series and bring anything up, everyone watched those games, everyone saw what he did.”

Maybe it was a power outage at some folks’ homes during the World Series? Or a subtle form of protest against the Dodgers, champions of capitalism? Maybe Yamamoto’s unassuming everyman act is just that good?

We’ve all marveled at Shohei Ohtani’s Superman quick change, how he’ll go from dynamite pitcher to fearsome hitter in a few bats of an eye. But the truly superheroic character on the Dodgers’ roster is their 5-foot-10, 176-pound ace, Yamamoto.

His Clark Kent-esque transformation, from unimposing nice guy — “the nicest guy in the entire world,” Casparius said — to smirking menace whenever the day needs saving is the stuff of comic book legends.

In last season’s World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays that went the distance and beyond, Yamamoto earned MVP and three of the Dodgers’ four wins.

He had a 1.02 ERA. Got the Dodgers squared away with nine innings of one-run baseball in Game 2. Staved off elimination in Game 6, giving up just one run in six innings. And closed the deal in Game 7 when he pitched 2 ⅔ innings of scoreless relief in the Dodgers’ 5-4, 11-inning victory.

Oh, and of course Yamamoto was warming in the bullpen when Freddie Freeman hit his walk-off home run to end the 18-inning Game 3 epic at Dodger Stadium.

And Yamamoto showed up for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He tossed 2 ⅔ scoreless innings in one pool-play start and was scheduled to start again against Venezuela on Saturday evening in Japan’s first knockout round game.

“Part of being a gamer and being a great competitor in big moments is the preparation,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And when you prepare the right way, that eliminates a lot of doubt and fear. And that, for me, that’s the core of who Yoshinobu is.”

Hyper-competitive and exceptionally nimble, Yamamoto is also super strong — in body and mind.

Bruce Wayne had Alfred Pennyworth; Yamamoto has Yada Sensei, personal trainer Osamu Yada, a 60-something Japanese judo therapist whose unique training regimen has helped turn his star pupil into a world-beater.

So while the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes and Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal are baseball’s kings of the hill, if you had to pick one arm to decide the fate of the universe, whose would it be?

Cue the Yoshinobu Yamamoto anthem.

“He's probably the best pitcher I've ever seen live,” Casparius said. “He’s definitely the guy I'm taking in a must-win game.”

Read more:'Bigger than baseball.' Why being in Puerto Rico for WBC meant so much to Kiké Hernández

Said pitcher River Ryan: “Yoshi, he is just a natural freak athlete” with a “routine that’s incredible to watch.”

And it isn’t merely the pitcher’s willingness to go to bat for his team and country, all the metrics make his case, too.

Last season, Yamamoto had the fourth-best ERA in the big leagues (2.49) and gave up two or fewer runs in 20 of his 30 starts. He was also tied for first in barrel rate (5.7%), fifth in strikeout rate (29.4%) and seventh in FIP (2.94).

Pick a category, and it paints the picture almost as well as Yamamoto does corners.

I’m not asking people to put some respect on Yamamoto’s name, I’m asking them to put mad respect on it.

“I would say yes, I don't think he's fully appreciated for what he's done,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “Not just yet. He will.”

Eventually even people around Clark Kent have to catch on: This guy might not walk around like he’s a superhero, but he is one.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Hello, friends.

There are now 11 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. Another eight exhibition games remain to be played in Florida, plus the home-and-home with the Nationals next Sunday and Monday. That includes a 6:05 game against the Yankees here tonight, the first night game of the spring schedule so far. The game will be broadcast on MASN as well as on the flagship radio stations of 98 Rock and WBAL 1090AM in Baltimore.

In yesterday’s game, the Orioles dropped an 8-6 result to the Pirates, with a late three-run home run surrendered by Yaramil Hiraldo making a big difference in the game. On the plus side for the Orioles, Adley Rutschman hit his second homer of spring training in the game and Dylan Beavers hit his first. The team is 8-11 in Grapefruit League action with two ties. We are at the point where I would like to start seeing some better results from the players who are definitely going to be on the Opening Day roster. Many players have been delivering through the spring schedule, so there’s not too much reason to panic… well, sorta.

I remain curious about when some more things will be revealed about the contours of the roster, particularly how pitchers will line up in the remainder of the rotation. When will Craig Albernaz make the decision public about whether the team goes with a five- or six-man rotation? Maybe he never will! Maybe we’ll just know from the roster cuts that they make. If Zach Eflin gets put on the injured list so that he can keep building up innings to start the season, then we’ll know. If Dean Kremer gets optioned to the minors, we’ll know that too.

In a typical season, the final, substantial cuts are made before the team heads north from Florida. That could be different this year since there is the presence of the two exhibitions in the District and in Baltimore. The team might hold off until after that game. And it is always possible to have a waiver claim or trade throwing off everyone’s predicted roster between the end of the exhibition games and the roster being set on Opening Day.

Mike Elias has been a big fan of this kind of move in his tenure as Orioles GM. We’ll see what the run-up to the 2026 season brings.

Orioles stuff you might have missed

Trevor Rogers likes leading ‘most underrated rotation in all of baseball’ (The Baltimore Sun)
I hope subsequent developments this season make this look like a fun prediction rather than a depressing one.

Albernaz on choosing Rogers Opening Day starter (School of Roch)
Lots of words that don’t really say much other than that Rogers pitched well last year. Which is unquestionably true.

Dylan Beavers likely bound for Opening Day roster – but he’s taking nothing for granted (Orioles.com)
Let’s all say it together: BEAVERS!

Hitting coach Dustin Lind brings unusual perspective to new job (Baltimore Baseball)
The hitting coach saying “Putting the ball in play is step one in being a hitter” is going to make many people happen.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

Nothing of particular note is recorded for this day in Orioles history. This is not likely to change today unless there’s really bad news.

There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2025 outfielder Greg Allen, 2008 infielder Freddie Bynum, 1993 infielder Mike Pagliarulo, and Maryland-born Baseball Hall of Famer/1993-95 and 1997-2000 designated hitter Harold Baines. Today is Baines’s 67th birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: 7th president Andrew Jackson (1767), musician Sly Stone (1943), Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi (1967), and actress Eva Longoria (1975).

On this day in history…

In 44 BC, famously on the Ides of March, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated by several senators.

In 1820 AD, the state of Maine was admitted to the union, becoming the 20th of the United States.

In 1848, a revolution began in Hungary, providing short-lived independence from the Habsburgs to the Hungarians. Ultimately, however, the Russian Empire came to the aid of Austria and the Hungarian revolution was stamped out about 18 months later.

In 1917, a later Russian emperor, Nicholas II, abdicated the throne, bringing an end to the Russian monarchy.

A random Orioles trivia question

I received a random book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask a question each time it’s my turn in this space until I run out of questions or forget. Though the book has multiple choice answers, I’m not giving you those because that would make it too easy. Here’s today’s question:

Who did the Orioles trade to the Cubs for Sammy Sosa?

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on March 15. Have a safe Sunday.

Another spring victory, which is great, but we’re here for the showdown tonight in Miami.

United States vs. Dominican Republic, Paul Skenes vs. possibly the best lineup ever assembled. If you’re not excited by this matchup, I’m know sure you have a pulse.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Zack Wheeler threw to hitters in a live bullpen session yesterday. He is getting closer and closer to a return.
• Justin Crawford hit the ball on the ground a lot yesterday, but according to the coaching staff, that’s all they are looking for ($).

MLB news:

• Robert Stephenson has more UCL damage in his right elbow, which will probably require another surgery. Tough news for the Angels’ right hander.
• The Red Sox have a few excellent rotation options coming up through their system, but they’re not seeking extensions just yet with one of them.
• Japan has a few stars on their WBC roster, but two of them are that aren’t in MLB will posted as soon as this offseason.

It started with a Shohei shot.

Ohtani began the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo for Team Japan with a double on the first pitch he saw and then, one inning later, a grand slam … of course he did.

It continued with an espresso shot ...

The hitters of lovable Team Italy celebrated home runs with shots of Italian espresso in a dugout dripping with cheek kisses and caffeine.

After hitting three homers against Mexico, Italy’s Vinnie Pasquantino told Fox that he was, “beaned up.”

Truly, this blip of a tournament has been beaned up, a glorious 10 days of deafening cheers and eye-blacked tears, fans dressed like discount popes and bald eagles, TV ratings through the roof, baseball at its October best … in the middle of spring training?

What a thing! What a treat!

All hail the WBC, 20 years old and all grown up, its sixth incarnation stealing the stage in a sweet spot during NBA doldrums and before March Madness.

Have you watched any of it? Have you been energized by all of it? It’s been like two weeks of All-Star games, only the players are serious. It’s been like when baseball was part of the Olympics, only the players are all truly the best in the world.

In the middle of the most boring part of the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues, it’s like a Superhero League. Two weeks before opening day, it’s like the final week of a pennant race.

Read more:'Bigger than baseball.' Why being in Puerto Rico for WBC meant so much to Kiké Hernández

It’s competitive, and it’s crazy, and Friday’s quarterfinals were filled with both.

There was giant Vladimir Guerrero Jr. going airborne to score a run for the Dominican Republic against Korea, and then leaping up and pumping his fist as if he had just won the World Series.

There was Juan Soto flying home to score an inning later, his head-first dive celebrated by Soto doing a swim move in the dugout.

Then there was Team USA’s David Bednar, screaming along with the chanting crowd as he worked out of a seventh-inning jam in a win over Canada.

In a tournament filled with equal parts emotion and edginess, Team USA now plays the Dominican Republic Sunday in Miami in a semifinal that could be the most-watched game of this season before the season starts.

Paul Skenes versus a lineup so deep Julio Rodriguez bats seventh? A team led by Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper versus a team featuring Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr?

“I expect it to be one of the best games of all time,” said Team USA Manager Mark DeRosa.

No, the WBC isn’t as big as the World Series. One notable player said it’s even bigger.

“The Classic kind of feels above the World Series,” Kiké Hernández told reporters earlier this spring. “Maybe it’s because of what we have on the chest,”

Hernández, who didn’t play for his home country Puerto Rico because he is recovering from elbow surgery, nonetheless showed up in San Juan for the pool-play games.

He was so excited when Puerto Rico beat Panama on a walk-off home run, he texted Dodgers baseball president Andrew Friedman and asked if he could accompany the team to Houston for the knockout round. Friedman of course said yes.

Yes, yes, yes, more, more, more.

Read more:Shaikin: Clayton Kershaw's 'perfect' ending has one final chapter in WBC

Before this spring, I had watched exactly one WBC at-bat. The entire deal felt cheesy and contrived. American players didn’t appear to care. American players would rather lounge through the final days of spring training in occasional games and on countless golf courses

Other countries loved it. Other countries caused a ruckus. The fan experience was highlighted by a memorable and deafening 2009 final at Dodger Stadium featured a Japan victory over South Korea in a game that many observers said was the loudest they ever attended.

Not me. Didn’t care. I pretty much ignored the whole thing until stumbling upon that one at-bat, the final out in the 2023 title game, that stunning dramatic strikeout of Mike Trout by then-Angel teammate Ohtani to give Japan the title.

Ohtani threw his cap and glove in a rare show of emotion, setting off a wild and sincere celebration as my ignorant self finally realized, "Hey, this is a thing."

Three years later, the American players have agreed, stacking the roster with stars like Judge and Harper, kids like Pete Crow-Armstrong, vets like Kyle Schwarber and Big Dumpers named Cal Raleigh, all transforming this occasional baseball oddity into must-see TV.

You know how one can tell it’s real American baseball? The team spent its first week mired in social media drama and a second-guessing controversy.

Tarik Skubal, the game’s best pitcher, found himself defending his patriotism after leaving the tournament early to better prepare for his opening day start with the Detroit Tigers.

First, he admitted he was surprised at how bad he felt about abandoning Team USA. That seemed to be a theme in a clubhouse that has been stunned at how much this matters.

“I totally misread how I would feel,” he said.

Then, he seemed genuinely hurt that people think he is turning his back on the flag.

“It’s just not fair,” he told the Athletic, later adding, “If they know me, though, and they know me on a personal level and they know what my peers think of me, I don't think it's fair to say those things."

Also finding himself in hot water was USA manager Mark DeRosa, who nearly allowed his team to be eliminated in pool play because he didn’t know the rules.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for Japan in WBC: 'Just seemed like the right decision'

When Team USA played Italy on Tuesday night, DeRosa rested most of his starters, nearly used retired Clayton Kershaw and basically managed the game as if he thought they didn’t need to win to guarantee advancement to the next round.

Guess what? They needed to win. But they didn’t win, losing 8-6 in a shocking upset. So they were forced to sweat out the Italy-Mexico game on Wednesday, where another Italian upset allowed them to back into the quarterfinals.

DeRosa claimed he knew the rules all along, which he clearly did not.

Before the game against Italy, in an interview on the MLB Network, he said, “Our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals.”

After the game, DeRosa claimed he just, “misspoke”

And then Thursday he told the media, “I was well aware that we had to win the game.”

Read more:Shohei Ohtani's second-inning grand slam propels Japan to a rout in World Baseball Classic opener

The 16-year journeyman clearly messed up, and then tried to cover up, and here’s guessing even if Team USA wins this tournament, he won’t be managing them in the 2028 Olympics or in any future WBC events.

Seems like the perfect job for Dave Roberts, no?

Meanwhile, one American player had a dissenting view about the status of this tournament, Harper offering a tired argument.

“Obviously, the WBC has been great, but it’s not the Olympics, right?” he told reporters. “That’s no disrespect to the WBC or anything, but everybody knows that when the Olympics are on, everybody’s watching. It doesn’t matter what sport it is; it could be the most random sport, and it’s got all the fans watching it.”

Wrong. Here’s guessing more fans will be watching Sunday night in a matchup for the ages. Then, imagine if Team USA wins and plays Japan on Tuesday night for the championship?

With the sport headed toward a seemingly inevitable work stoppage this winter, this could be the sweet beginnings of a long farewell. Soak it in. Enjoy the buzz. Get all beaned up. March madness indeed.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

After the Dominican Republic and the US both punched their tickets to the WBC semifinals on Friday night, Saturday saw the following matchups: Puerto Rico vs. Italy, and Venezuela vs. Japan. Here’s how the games played out.

Quarterfinals Game 3: Italy 8, Puerto Rico 6

Even though Puerto Rico’s 2026 WBC campaign was marred by insurance issues before it had even started, they nevertheless earned their spot in the quarterfinals with an impressive 3-1 record in a very competitive Pool A. Their spunk was on full display Friday night against Italy as they nearly overcame a six-run deficit. However, their comeback attempt fell just short, and it’s hard not to wonder how things might have played out differently if Francisco Lindor and/or Carlos Correa had been in the lineup.

It’s also important to give credit where credit is due. Italy’s lineup put up a hitting clinic, generating constant traffic on the bases by drawing walks and capitalizing on seemingly every RISP situation. Meanwhile, manager Francisco Cervelli’s proactive managing paid dividends, as the bullpen shut the Puerto Ricans down in the middle innings after an early hook for starter Sam Aldegheri. Although it got dicey towards the end, a gutsy performance from erstwhile Yankee Greg Weissert got Team Italy over the finish line.

Puerto Rico drew first blood with a Willi Castro leadoff homer, nearly tearing off the roof of Daikin Park. Seriously, the hype generated from these WBC crowds is nothing short of spine-tingling.

However, Italy came right back and then some in the bottom of the first. After Sam Antonacci and Jakob Marsee reached via walks, Vinnie Pasquantino continued his recent tear with an RBI single to knot things at 1-1.

Dominic Canzone and Jac Caglianone chipped in with singles of their own, each driving in a run. With two men on base, an Andrew Fischer walk loaded the bases for Best Name in the WBC contender J.J. D’Orazio, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right to make the score 4-1 Italy.

It seemed like it might be smooth sailing for Italy, but starter Sam Aldegheri could not deliver. After starting off the top of the second by getting Emmanuel Rivera to pop out, the Angels prospect allowed back-to-back walks to Heliot Ramos and Eddie Rosario before hitting Matthew Lugo to load the bases. Cervelli called on Alek Jacob to put out the fire, but his very first pitch connected with Martín Maldonado’s thigh, netting Puerto Rico their second run of the game. However, Jacob then retired Willi Castro and Darell Hernaiz to preserve Italy’s lead.

The score would stay 4-2 Italy until the bottom of the fourth. Despite starting the inning with two strikeouts from Thomas Saggese and Jakob Marsee, Italy refused to let the frame end. Pasquantino, Canzone, and Caglianone drew three straight walks to fill up the bases, setting the stage for Andrew Fischer. The Brewers’ 2025 first-round pick drove a ball to right field which looked like a bases-clearing double off the wall, but before it could fulfill its destiny, an overzealous fan in the bleachers reached down and snagged it.

Friends, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, just keep your hands to yourself. It’s the best thing to do for everyone involved.

The umpires ruled that two runs were to score, potentially costing Team Italy a run and souring the vibes of what should have been an exciting moment. Fortunately for them (and for the aforementioned fan), J.J. D’Orazio washed the bad feeling away like a refreshing digestivo, hammering an automatic double to right field to make it 8-2 Italy.

The score would remain unchanged for the next three innings, thanks largely to a heroic relief performance from Italy right-hander Dylan DeLucia. Having entered the game in the third, DeLucia blanked Puerto Rico for four, count ‘em, four innings, allowing just two hits and walking no one while striking out three. He was relieved by Dan Altavilla in the seventh, who pitched around a leadoff walk and a Pasquantino error to post a scoreless frame.

Matt Festa came on for the eighth inning, seeking to continue the trend; however, Puerto Rico greeted him with a gutsy rally. Carlos Cortes led off with a single, and Emmanuel Rivera and Heliot Ramos each drew walks, loading the bases. Having failed to record a single out, Festa exited the game, and Joe La Sorsa was summoned to defuse the situation. La Sorsa managed to induce a groundball from Eddie Rosario, which scored a run but also allowed Italy to get a force out to second base. But he then proceeded to plunk Bryan Torres and throw a wild pitch to Christian Vázquez, allowing Puerto Rico’s fourth run of the game and putting runners on second and third.

Vázquez proceeded to poke a grounder into right field, continuing Puerto Rico’s unlikely comeback and sending their faithful into a frenzy.

However, that would be it for Puerto Rico’s rally. Greg Weissert entered the game for Italy and stemmed the tide, escaping the frame with a two-run lead. With the score now 8-6 Italy, Edwin Díaz came on for Puerto Rico to ensure that the game stayed within reach. Although a HBP to Sam Antonacci and a walk to Pasquantino made things dicey, ultimately Díaz was up to the task, striking out Canzone to end the frame.

Weissert stayed on for the ninth, and although Cortes led off the inning with a single, Weissert retired the next three batters in order to seal the deal for Italy. The teammate-kissing, espresso-swigging squad’s magical run continues, and I’m excited to see what they can pull off next.

Quarterfinals Game 4: Venezuela 8, Japan 5

In what was arguably the most evenly matched showdown of the quarterfinals, Venezuela flexed their muscles en route to a 8-5 victory over the defending champions Japan, overcoming a shaky start from Ranger Suarez to make their way into the semifinals and clearing the path for a tremendous final.

Many predicted this game to be one of the best games of the tournament, and it wasted no time in living up to its promise. On just the second pitch of the night, the always electric Ronald Acuña Jr. tattooed an uncharacteristic meatball from 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, sending it into the right-field stands for Venezuela’s first run. You’ll want to hear the crowd reaction for this one:

However, not to be outdone, Shohei Ohtani responded in typical fashion, stroking a 2-1 hanging slider from Ranger Suarez 427 feet to right field to even the score.

If you’re not following the WBC, you’re missing out on some pretty compelling baseball, folks.

Venezuela continued to showcase their dangerous lineup in the second, earning a 2-1 lead via consecutive doubles from Ezequiel Tovar and Gleyber Torres. Wilyer Abreu kept the line going with a walk, but Yamamoto dug deep and denied Venezuela any further damage, retiring the next three batters to end the inning.

Yamamoto clearly did not have his best stuff or his usual pristine command, but he battled hard, working around a leadoff double from Maikel Garcia to post a scoreless top of the third. Japan’s lineup would reward him handsomely in their half of the inning. After Sosuke Genda led off with a walk, manager Hirokazu Ibata made sabermetricians around the globe wince by electing to have Kenya Wakatsuki lay down a sacrifice bunt, which he successfully did. With first base now open, Puerto Rico skipper Yadier Molina had Suarez intentionally walk Ohtani, choosing to roll the dice with Teruaki Sato instead.

Sato, who led the Central League in homers and RBI last year with the Hanshin Tigers, showed exactly why he’s one of the most feared hitters in NPB, scorching a grounder down the right-field line for a double, scoring Genda. Japan had evened the score yet again, 2-2.

Enter Shota Morishita, fellow Hanshin Tiger, who started the game on the bench but came in to replace Seiya Suzuki, who injured his knee on a stolen base attempt in the third. Morishita nearly dropped to one knee swinging at a 2-2 changeup in the bottom of the zone, but he managed to get the barrel on it, sending it flying into the left field stands for a three-run dinger. Just like that, it was 5-2, Japan.

It seemed like a crushing blow for Venezuela, but they did not take it sitting down. Although Yamamoto set them down in order in the fourth, they would not let Japan’s bullpen enjoy the same success. Chihiro Sumida entered in the fifth and promptly walked the normally free-swinging Jackson Chourio on five pitches. Acuña struck out, but Maikel Garcia cashed in, clobbering a two-run homer to left field to make it 5-4 Japan.

Venezuela would deliver another haymaker in the sixth. Facing Hiromi Itoh, recipient of the 2025 Eiji Sawamura Award (Japan’s Cy Young), Tovar and Torres began the frame with back-to-back singles. Abreu then unloaded on a 91-mph middle-middle meatball, parking it into the second deck in right field. Venezuela had turned the game on its head, now leading 7-5 on the strength of the Red Sox outfielder.

On the other side of the ball, Venezuela’s bullpen, considered by many to be their weakest link, stifled the Japanese offense. From the fourth inning onward, relievers Emmanuel De Jesus, José Buttó, Angel Zerpa, Andrés Machado, and Daniel Palencia were unhittable, holding Japan to just three knocks and a walk, while striking out a combined eight batters. Slowly but surely, they recorded out after out, denying the Japanese fans any hope of a comeback. By the time that Venezuela was gifted an eighth run due to a botched pickoff attempt from Atsuki Taneichi in the top of the eighth, the game felt all but over.

In the previous WBC, Team Japan’s run ended with Ohtani on the mound, throwing a perfect 3-2 sweeper to induce a championship-clinching whiff from Mike Trout. As fate would have it, Ohtani was the last batter up for the 2026 squad. However, as great as he is, Ohtani can’t score three runs all by himself. Palencia gave him the pitch he wanted—a 2-1 fastball middle-in, right in his wheelhouse—but he just got under the Cubs closer’s offering, and the resulting pop fly was secured by Ezequiel Tovar.

Venezuela faced a tall task in facing Japan, but they passed the test with flying colors, led by an absolutely electric offensive performance and clutch pitching from their bullpen. If they keep this up, I really can’t see why they shouldn’t win the whole darn thing. Though Japan’s loss certainly stings, I’ll be following this Venezuela squad with great interest for the rest of the WBC.

Next up tonight? Paul Skenes and Team USA against old friend Luis Severino and the Dominican Republic, both with loaded lineups behind them and a WBC Championship Game appearance on the line. Buckle up for 8pm ET on FS1.

In a WBC littered with big home runs from Red Sox players, Wilyer Abreu now owns the most dramatic moment of the entire tournament.

After falling behind Team Japan 5-2 in the third inning and nearly burying themselves even further in the fourth, Venezuela began to fight their way back into the game in the fifth and sixth. The rally culminated when Wilyer Abreu came to the plate and did this:

Willyer Abreu’s most iconic moment of his life so far. This guy is such a stud. Such an underrated hitter.

This was bomb. Energy in the WBC is so awesome. pic.twitter.com/ytMiNEFLk8

— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) March 15, 2026

Here’s an even better angle of the bat flip:

WILYER ABREU HOW DO YOU DO?!! pic.twitter.com/I8DoaPLRG1

— loanDepot park (@loanDepotpark) March 15, 2026

I was fortunate enough to be in the stands for this game, and let me tell you, my ears are still ringing from the decibels reached. There was dancing, chanting, hugging, screaming, and singing, but most of all, there was pure unadulterated joy.

Here’s one last look at that infectious joy from the players side of things:

ARE YOU KIDDING?!

THE SWING OF A LIFETIME https://t.co/cW8XeghwVYpic.twitter.com/76DF3vpJPo

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 15, 2026

Here’s Abreu after the game:

Willy’s so happy! I love it. Happy for our dude. What a moment for him tonight.
pic.twitter.com/ekyfTAGoVv

— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) March 15, 2026

In addition to the enormous ramifications of taking down Team Japan and now finding themselves just one win away from the WBC final, there’s also Red Sox ramifications. Most notably, Abreu looks awesome, and continues to underscore why he’s a guy you can trust at the plate with the game on the line.

What an awesome night for him, the sport of baseball, the WBC, and the entire country of Venezuela!

Our World Baseball Classic Final Four is set. Team USA will square off tonight at 8pm ET on FS1 with the Dominican Republic in a dynamic matchup of Paul Skenes vs. the formidable Dominican lineup to see who will advance to the WBC Championship Game In tomorrow’s game, Italy will try to continue their dream run all the way to a finals berth, but will have to pull off another big upset against a dangerous Venezuela club that knocked out Shohei Ohtani and defending champion Japan last night in a thriller.

Today on the site, Kento will discuss how we got to this point in the WBC by recapping yesterday’s action. Estevão will preview the Reds—who really did make the playoffs last year, we promise—Nick will celebrate an awesome 1980s Yankee’s birthday, and John will run the weekly social media spotlight. Then we have some doubleheader action! Estevão and Peter will have you covered with separate game threads and recaps.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Video: YES Network, Gotham Sports App, Detroit SportsNet

Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL

New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles

Time: 6:05 p.m. EST

Video: MASN, MLB.tv

Venue: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota, FL

Questions/Prompts:

1. Who’s winning tonight: the Dominican Republic or Team USA? Who gets the biggest hit?

2. Did you watch any college basketball conference tournament play this weekend, or have you mostly stuck to baseball?