USA eliminates Canada to set up WBC semifinal vs. Dominican
Team USA knocked Canada out of the World Baseball Classic with a 5-3 win in Friday's quarterfinal in Houston.
Star closer Mason Miller struck out the side in the ninth inning to end the game.
BALLGAME!
โ FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 14, 2026
Mason Miller strikes out the side to get the save and @USABaseball is on to the semifinal! ๐บ๐ธ pic.twitter.com/7nW7Hjxf2f
The Canadians had a chance to tie the contest in the seventh but couldn't capitalize with a runner on second and third with nobody out. Reliever David Bednar retired the next three hitters, including slugger Owen Caissie to end the frame as the American fans chanted "U-S-A, U-S-A."
BOOM!
โ FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 14, 2026
Bednar gets the strikeout to get out of the jam! ๐บ๐ธ pic.twitter.com/nhAXI6pSd1
Logan Webb picked up the win, allowing four hits with one walk and five strikeouts while pitching into the fifth inning without surrendering a run.
Canada got a two-run homer from Bo Naylor in the defeat. Michael Soroka took the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits with two walks and one strikeout across 2 2/3 innings.
The U.S. will now face the Dominican Republic in Sunday's star-studded semifinal (8 p.m. ET) in Miami.
The Americans will start reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, while the Dominican Republic is countering with former All-Star Luis Severino.
"I expect to be the away team for sure," Pete Crow-Armstrong, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the victory, told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports postgame. "But that's what we're looking forward to. We want the electricity, the energy in the crowd. That's why we're throwing Skenes out there."
The Dominicans rolled past Korea 10-0 in Friday's first elimination game. The Latin American powerhouse is a perfect 5-0 in the tournament, outscoring their opponents 51-10.