WBC: Canada vs. USA
The World Baseball Classic quarterfinals set up a Canada vs. USA clash after Italy — powered in part by Vinnie Voltaggio — advanced and Australia was eliminated, turning this into a high‑stakes international matchup. Coverage has leaned into national pride narratives and how WBC performance can eclipse MLB milestones for some players John and Lance: ESPN Houston Hour 2 (03/13) recap.
Vinnie Pasquantino [crashed three home runs]mlb.com to power Italy to a 9–1 rout of Mexico at Daikin Park on March 11, marking the first three‑homer game in World Baseball Classic history.mlb.com Italy’s 9–1 result [clinched Pool B]mlb.com and, under the tournament’s tiebreaker math, [sent Team USA through as Pool B’s runner‑up]espn.com despite the Americans’ earlier upset loss to Italy.espn.com Team Canada [defeated Cuba 7–2]sportsnet.ca on March 11 to reach the WBC quarterfinals for the first time in program history, with Cal Quantrill and veteran pieces like Michael Soroka singled out in Canadian coverage as key to that breakthrough.sportsnet.ca The knockout matchup is slated for Daikin Park in Houston as part of the March 13–14 quarterfinal window, with winners advancing to the Miami semifinals and the WBC championship game scheduled for March 17, 2026.mlb.com
