The United States defeated Canada 5-3 in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic, securing a place in the semifinals. The match took place on Friday night in Houston, Texas, where key performances included a double from Aaron Judge and two hits each from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brice Turang.
The U.S. team, needing a win following an earlier loss to Italy in pool play, capitalized on strong offensive efforts, particularly in the sixth inning with back-to-back RBI singles that extended their lead to five runs. Canadian player Bo Naylor contributed significantly to his team's efforts with a two-run homer in the sixth, which narrowed the score to 5-3, but the U.S. bullpen effectively maintained the lead, culminating in a strikeout performance by Mason Miller in the ninth inning.
Logan Webb, the starting pitcher for the U.S., delivered a solid performance, allowing four hits and one walk over 4 2/3 innings while striking out five batters. Canada, which was participating in the quarterfinals for the first time, concluded the tournament with a record of 1-5 against the U.S. in World Baseball Classic history.
Despite having opportunities to close the gap, including a seventh-inning situation with runners on second and third, Canada was unable to capitalize, as U.S. pitcher David Bednar struck out the next three batters to maintain the lead. The U.S. will progress to face the Dominican Republic in the semifinals on Sunday in Miami.