World Baseball Classic Day 9: Mike Trout carries Team USA
By Bill Felber
World Baseball Classic: Mexico 10, Canada 3
In Phoenix, Mexico clinched the top seed in Pool C with a decisive victory over Canada in what amounted to a win-or-go-home game.
Mexico completes Pool C play at 3-1, and having beaten the United States, the only team with a chance to match its record.
Tampa Bay star Randy Arozarena led a Mexico offense that played relentlessly. After being hit by a pitch, he scored the game’s first run in a two-run Mexico top of the first. His second inning double drove in Austin Barnes for Mexico’s third run, and his sixth inning bags-clearing double down the left field line extended Mexico’s margin to 6-2.
That ran Arozarena’s RBI total for the game to five.
Joey Meneses and Rowdy Tellez also had two hits, one of Tellez’s being a home run. Tellez had three RBI.
Canada, which would have advanced with a victory, played without star first baseman Freddie Freeman, who had been lifted from Tuesday’s game due to a hamstring strain. The injury was reported not to be serious.
Eight Canada pitchers tried without success to slow Mexico. Those pitchers, however, failed to help themselves, issuing 10 bases on balls atop the 10 Mexico hits. They also hit three opponents, getting Arozarena twice.
Bo Naylor and Edouard Julien provided Canada’s offensive highlights, each with a home run. Julien, a Twins farmhand, batted .538 for the tournament.