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Team USA walked 17 times in a 10-run win, but Brazil got some memorable contributions from some familiar names
Mar 7, 2026 at 12:11 am ET • 1 min read
Team USA Baseball ran -- err, walked -- away from Brazil for a 15-5 win in the Americans' 2026 World Baseball Classic opener on Friday night at Daikin Park in Houston. Brazil, which shockingly out-homered Team USA 3-1, stuck around for most of the game. The Americans, who were 9.5-run favorites, drew a total of 17 walks in the game and scored seven runs in the ninth inning to blow things open.
Here's what to know from Friday night's WBC opener.
Aaron Judge got things started quickly
Aaron Judge came to the plate with a runner on second and one out in the first inning. He watched three balls before getting served a middle-middle pitch on a 3-0 count. The Yankees star and three-time MVP didn't miss.
Just like that, USA had a 2-0 lead.
The USA lineup wore down Brazil with patience
What jumps out immediately about the USA lineup is the firepower, obviously, with so many home run threats up and down the order. Knowing that, it would be easy to overlook the strike-zone skills possessed by the group. So many of the hitters in the lineup are adept at working counts and not swinging at bad pitches. The Judge blast obviously was helpful, but the main reason USA put such a big number on the board in this one was the non-stop traffic on the bases.
USA hitters walked 17 times, compared to 10 hits. The four-run rally in the fifth inning that broke the game open was enabled by three straight walks before Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch and then Brice Turang doubled home three runs. The seven-run ninth inning had three singles and five walks.
It actually should have been uglier. Team USA was 5 for 21 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base. The only extra-base hits were the Judge home run and two Turang doubles. And the Americans still scored 15 runs.
This is a good illustration of what makes the offense so dangerous. Bats can slump but with so much traffic runs will happen eventually.
Webb was dominant on the mound
One of the differences from the 2023 squad here is that the 2026 version of Team USA has a trio of aces. Sure, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes are the main event, but Giants ace Logan Webb has finished in the top six of Cy Young voting each of the last three years and that includes a second-place finish. It was a rocky start for just a quick second, as Webb allowed a leadoff homer.
After that, though, he faced 12 batters and got all of them out. Six of them came on strikeouts and most of the contact was weak. He was in total control.
Now, Brazil did put together a three-run seventh inning against reliever Michael Wacha, but there was enough cushion that it didn't create any major issues. Wacha was there to absorb the innings more than anything else.
Skubal comes next against Great Britain and then Skenes follows against Mexico in the deadly USA rotation.
MLB legacies make impact for Brazil
Lucas Ramirez led off the game for Brazil with a home run. He is the son of Manny Ramirez. Oh, and he homered again in the eighth inning! How about that?
The second pitcher for Brazil was 17-year-old Joseph Contreras, who is actually in high school in the Atlanta area. He's the son of former MLB pitcher Jose Contreras. Joseph's stuff looked great. He even induced an inning-ending double play from Judge in the second inning.
Next up for Team USA is a Saturday billing against Great Britain back at Daikin Park at 8 p.m. ET. The goal for USA, really, is simply to win every game. It doesn't really matter how. If USA goes 4-0 in the pool, the Americans will play the second-place team from Pool A (Puerto Rico, Canada, Cuba, Panama or Colombia) in the quarterfinals. Going 4-0 means no need to worry about tiebreakers or anything like that.
USA goes to 1-0 in Pool B with a win that wasn't nearly as easy as the final score looked. It was 7-4 in the eighth inning. Still, the talent prevailed and all that really matters is securing that W.
Aaron Judge homered, Brice Turang had two doubles and four RBI in his three-hit game. The team drew 17 walks, including four from Alex Bregman. Kyle Schwarber was on base four times with two singles and two walks. Starting pitcher Logan Webb dominated after allowing a leadoff homer, retiring the next 12 hitters, including striking out six.
Brazil just ran out of pitchers who could throw strikes, or at least pitchers who were comfortable enough throwing strikes against an offense with this kind of power. USA ended up scoring seven runs in the ninth inning. It never even had an extra-base hit. There were three singles and five walks.
Top 9: USA 10, Brazil 5 -- USA rallying with patience
Brice Turang led off the ninth with a single and stole second. He scored on a Bryce Harper single. And then the walk parade was on. Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber and Alex Bregman have walked, plating another run to make it 10-5 USA. The bases are loaded for Cal Raleigh and there's another Brazil pitching change.
End 8: USA 8, Brazil 5 -- Manny's son does it again
Remember Lucas Ramirez getting things started for Brazil with a leadoff home run? Yeah, he just hit another.
He only had three home runs in the minors last season in 60 games, but he has two home runs against USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. His father, all-time great slugger Manny Ramirez, is surely proud.
Mid-8: USA 8, Brazil 4 -- Anthony delivers
USA has now left 12 men on base and has gone just 3 for 16 with runners in scoring position. There was the Aaron Judge two-run homer in the first inning, the Brice Turang three-RBI double in the fifth and here in the eighth inning, Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony came through with a two-out, RBI single to give USA a four-run lead.
Top 8: USA 7, Brazil 4 -- USA with two on
A theme for the night has been USA piling up baserunners, especially via free passes. Aaron Judge walked and with one out Alex Bregman was hit by a pitch. That means USA now has drawn 12 walks and two batters have been hit with a pitch.
End 7: USA 7, Brazil 4 -- Brazil closes in
Brazil got a leadoff single from Leonardo Reginatto and then he scored on a two-out single. It seemed a bit harmless, but then Victor Mascai hit a two-run shot into the Crawford Boxes in left field and things just got a bit more interesting. It is 7-4 USA heading to the eighth inning. The USA offense has had a ton of traffic, but left 10 runners on base and now they might have to sweat it out.
End 6: USA 7, Brazil 1 -- Wacha continuing mound dominance
Brazil finally got its second hit of the game, but Michael Wacha has struck out five in his two scoreless innings of work. Through six innings, USA pitchers have only given up one run on two hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
Mid-5: USA 7, Brazil 1 -- USA breaks game open
In the top of the fifth inning, Kyle Schwarber grounded out for USA to lead things off. Alex Bregman, Cal Raleigh and Roman Anthony then drew walks to load the bases. Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch to score one run. Brice Turang then doubled to left field -- with an assist coming on poor defense by Brazil's left fielder -- to clear the bases and give USA a bunch of breathing room.
