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Team USA got some timely hits, key outs from David Bednar and a strong start from Logan Webb to beat Canada
Mar 13, 2026 at 11:26 pm ET • 1 min read
Team USA held on vs. Canada on Friday and is now moving on in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The Americans jumped out to a 5-0 lead and then buckled down to secure a 5-3 victory over Canada. They're advancing to face the Dominican Republic in the semifinals on Sunday in the most-anticipated game of the tournament.
Before we get to that game, however, let's take a look back at how Team USA bounced back from a shocking loss to Italy and got the job done against Canada. Here's what to know about Friday's Team USA win.
Starting pitcher Logan Webb allowed just four hits and one walk in 4 ⅔ innings, striking out five. Canada hit a few balls hard, sure, and Webb was by no means perfect, but the Giants ace threw the ball very well and was in total control pretty much the entire time he was on the mound.
Probably the biggest area where Team USA upgraded this time around compared to the 2023 runner-up team was the rotation. Webb did his part here.
USA offense got by with timely hits
Team USA has a loaded offense, at least on paper. There have been bouts of offensive drought through the WBC to this point, though. That's baseball. It happens. We all know that. In this one, USA only managed one extra-base hit, and that was a first-inning double by Aaron Judge. Overall, Team USA had eight hits and still scored five runs. That would be thanks to some timely hitting, as USA went 4 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
In particular, Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong came through with back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth inning to push the USA lead to 5-0.
Canada rallied in the bottom of the sixth, first scoring a run on a Tyler Black RBI single. Then things got closer when Bo Naylor crushed an upper-tank home run.
All of a sudden, that 5-0 USA lead was cut to 5-3.
Bednar worked out of a massive jam
In the bottom of the seventh, Canada mounted another serious threat. Two infield singles and a passed ball -- a bad mistake by Cal Raleigh -- put runners at second and third with no outs. Yeam USA was clinging to a two-run lead with the tying run on second base, nobody out and the middle of the Canada order coming to the plate.
USA reliever and Yankees closer David Bednar was nails. He induced a pop-up to third from Naylor before striking out Tyler O'Neill and Owen Caissie.
Also, credit Garrett Whitlock for his scoreless eighth and then Mason Miller for his utterly nasty ninth, in which he struck out all three batters he faced to close things down.
The Dominican Republic mercy ruled Korea on Friday, 10-0. That Dominican offense is arguably the best in the WBC with players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Junior Caminero. The Dominicans are 5-0 so far in the WBC and have mostly been blowing people away with offense.
Set to pitch for Team USA? It's young ace and NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. He was in totally dominant in his start vs. Mexico in pool play, working four scoreless innings and striking out seven. His career MLB ERA is 1.96. Buckle up.
USA has beaten Canada, 5-3, to advance to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic.
USA took a 1-0 lead in the first, upped it to 3-0 in the third and 5-0 in the sixth, but Canada struck back with a three-run bottom of the sixth to make things interesting. The USA bullpen was able to finish the job, which included an incredible escape act from David Bednar in the seventh inning.
Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong both had two hits and an RBI in a relatively balanced USA offensive attack.
Onto the bottom of the ninth, USA leads Canada 5-3
Here comes USA closer Mason Miller. Canada will send Jared Young (pinch-hitter), Edouard Julien and Otto Lopez to the plate. Josh Naylor and Tyler O'Neill would follow Lopez, should Canada get some traffic.
USA 5, Canada 3 -- End 7; USA escapes
Canada was able to get runners to second and third with nobody out for the middle of their order. USA reliever David Bednar went to work, getting a pop out from Josh Naylor before striking out Tyler O'Neill and Owen Caissie to end the threat.
Canada threatening in a major way (5-3 USA, bottom 7)
Two infield singles and a passed ball means Canada has the tying run at second base. Canada's best player, Josh Naylor, comes to bat.
USA 5, Canada 3 -- Canada trims the lead again
USA grabbed some breathing room in the top of the sixth inning, but Canada now has this thing closer than it had been since the top of the third inning. Bo Naylor crushed a two-run bomb to right field and it's now 5-3 USA.
USA has been burned by the home run all tournament. That is the 10th home run allowed by USA pitchers in WBC play. This is the fifth game they've played.
Meantime, USA hitters only have one extra-base hit in this game and that was a first-inning double by Aaron Judge.
USA 5, Canada 1 -- Canada gets on the board
Owen Caissie drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a weak grounder and has now come around to score on a Tyler Black single. Canada has manufactured a run to get on the board and sometimes that clears a mental block.
USA manager Mark DeRosa is out to make a pitching change. It'll be Gabe Speier taking over.
USA 5, Canada 0 -- USA rallying in sixth
After a Roman Anthony infield single and Cal Raleigh walk, Brice Turang singled home a run and then Pete Crow-Armstrong did the same. The NL Central came through for two insurance runs for USA.
Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a double play to end the inning. The game heads to the bottom of the sixth with USA holding a five-run lead. Reliever Brad Keller is still on the mound for USA.
USA 3, Canada 0 -- End 5th
Josh Naylor weakly grounded out to first base and we head to the sixth inning with USA still holding that 3-0 lead. Now seems like a good time to give a ton of credit to Canada reliever Micah Ashman. He hasn't been above Double-A (current in the Orioles organization) and threw 2 ⅓ scoreless innings against this powerful USA lineup. He even stranded two runners when he took over in the third inning. He's been replaced now by Phillippe Aumont.
