HOUSTON — A day later than its manager originally proclaimed, the United States punched its ticket to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.
The Americans got the help they needed from Italy and could start to relax by the middle innings as Italy routed Mexico 9-1 on Wednesday night, giving the Azzurri the top spot in Group B and assuring the Americans advancement as that group’s second-place team.
After Vinnie Pasquantino had the WBC’s first three-homer game to lead the Italians to victory, the Kansas City Royals player had a message for the Americans.
“You’re welcome, U.S.A.,” said Pasquantino, who was born and raised in Virginia but is of Italian descent. “We were thinking of you guys over at your hotel. We were thinking of you guys. So I’m glad you could join us in the party.”
Italy beat the U.S. 8-6 a night earlier, turning the Americans into spectators as they hoped to avoid elimination. The Italians — fielding a roster stacked with Americans of Italian heritage — finished 4-0 while the U.S. went 3-1.