Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer while Gunnar Henderson had four hits and two RBIs as the United States rolled to a 9-1 victory over Britain on Saturday night at the World Baseball Classic.
The Americans improved to 2-0 in Pool B at Houston’s Daikin Park, while Britain dropped to 0-2.
Nate Eaton homered on the first pitch by left-handed starter Tarik Skubal — the winner of the past two American League Cy Young Awards — to give Britain a quick lead it held until the fifth inning, but his teammates couldn’t muster anything else at the plate.
U.S. hitters had managed just one single when Ernie Clement reached on an error by third baseman Ivan Johnson to start the fifth. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled before Clement scored on a wild pitch by Andre Scrubb to tie it at 1.
Schwarber followed with a 427-foot drive that landed near the back of the second deck in right field to put the U.S. on top 3-1.