Canada on brink of elimination at World Baseball Classic after loss to Mexico

PHOENIX – The Canadians gave themselves an opportunity to maneuver on at this World Baseball Classic, answerable for their very own destiny on the ultimate day of pool play, without having to attend for assist and hope the tiebreaker math landed proper.

Really, given the star energy on the sidelines resulting from damage, insurance coverage points, or membership conditions, how many individuals not sporting these crimson and white jerseys with the oddly small lettering on the entrance believed they’d even do this?

“I think we got a little bit of respect from other countries,” mentioned Edouard Julien, one of many prime performers within the opening spherical, “and we’re going to be back in four years.”

In that sense, taking the sphere Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field for a win-and-in conflict with Mexico on the backs of emergent skills like Julien, Otto Lopez, Bo Naylor and Owen Caissie, steadied by the steely willpower of Tyler O’Neill, was an accomplishment in itself.

That’s of chilly consolation now, after a 10-3 loss to the Mexicans earlier than a crowd of 17,245 left their hopes of a quarter-final berth depending on a Colombian upset of the powerhouse Americans, with sufficient offence to skew the runs against-by-outs-recorded quotient of their favour.

At 3-1, Mexico is thru and the Americans (2-1) can be a part of them with a win over Colombia (1-2) within the nightcap, stopping a three-way tie for second with Canada (2-2). Hence, solely lengthy odds now for that journey to Miami, which hurts, because it ought to for a gaggle pushing towards larger issues.

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“It doesn’t look good – there’s that slight possibility, but it would take almost a miracle,” mentioned supervisor Ernie Whitt, happy with his group nonetheless for maxing out in Phoenix. “I’m proud of every guy in that room. They played the game the way it was supposed to be played. They played with pride and passion. What more can you ask for?”

Unlike the 0-3 displaying on the final World Baseball Classic, there’s a by line from right here to a deeper run in 2026, when the subsequent version of the match is tentatively slated.

Freddie Freeman, who missed the finale after tweaking his hamstring and would have been out had they superior, and O’Neill is perhaps elder statesmen by then. But Cal Quantrill, whose tough begin within the opener of Great Britain was a number one indicator of simply what a wild experience this may be, must be again and perhaps big-leaguers like Josh Naylor, Mike Soroka, Nick Pivetta, Jameson Taillon, Jordan Romano and Zach Pop can be found, too.

Mitch Bratt, who at 19, took on the Americans in a learn-the-hard-way outing, must be within the majors by then, too. Julien, Lopez, Naylor, Caissie, Abraham Toro and Denzel Clarke are amongst a number of younger gamers who may make up a robust core. Noah Skirrow seemed to be on a big-league trajectory throughout his 5 dominant innings towards Colombia. Relievers Matt Brash, Curtis Taylor, Trevor Brigden and Indigo Diaz all had good moments out of the bullpen. A 3rd Naylor brother, the draft-eligible Myles, and big-armed Toronto Blue Jays prospect Adam Macko is perhaps within the combine by then, too.

Where 2017 was a definitive finish for one technology of Canadian nationwide group, 2023 feels far more like a promising starting for one more.

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“It’s incredible,” mentioned Quantrill. “I think we surpassed everyone’s expectations except for our own. This is what we thought we were capable of. I’m proud of the way that everyone’s handled this week. We’ve had guys put in moments that I don’t know if they’ve ever seen before and performed well up and down the order. We faced some adversity. We lost, obviously, a big piece in Freddie. It’s been really fun to watch.”

Added O’Neill, who reached base in 13 of his 18 plate appearances, drove in 4 runs and scored 5 extra whereas embodying the grit and management Canadians are recognized for: “You definitely see improvement in all aspects. Offence came alive for a couple of games, pitched the ball really well for a couple of games. There were some nail-biting innings here and there and the boys were able to bear down and get something done. Overall, this is a great showing from us I would say. It’s tough losing Freddie the other day but the rest of us have to pick up the slack and just do a better job next time.”

Just a few breaks right here and there and it may need continued this weekend.

Starter Rob Zastryzny was dominated to have hit Randy Arozarena on a full-count fastball within the first inning, regardless that replays steered the Tampa Bay Rays catalyst fouled off the pitch and performed up the contact together with his hand. The Canadians challenged and the evaluate decided in any other case. An out later, Joey Meneses’ curler discovered a black gap within the infield, Zastryzny balked the runners into scoring place and Rowdy Tellez dunked a single into proper to open the scoring.

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“It’s tough first hitter of the game to ask for an appeal, but we were told that the ball hit the bat,” mentioned Whitt. “I even had a look at it, it looked like it did. So we took that opportunity. … That was their decision and we go by it.”

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The Canadians loaded the bases with none out within the backside half however solely plated one run on an Otto Lopez base hit, Toro having to freeze at second to make sure the ball touched inexperienced.

Maybe, with a clear prime of the primary and a crooked quantity proper after, issues would have performed out in another way.

Instead, light-hitting Austin Barnes labored the primary of his three walks out of the nine-hole, an unacceptable whole, within the second earlier than an Arozarena double-plated him. After Naylor’s solo shot within the fourth made it a one-run sport once more, the Mexicans blew the sport open with a four-run sixth, keyed by Arozarena’s three-run double.

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“If one or two ball falls differently, it’s a different ballgame,” mentioned veteran lefty Andrew Albers, who left behind a pair of baserunners throughout the sixth. “I don’t think they hit the ball hard. Blooper that gets down to put guys on second and third. Arozarena’s ground ball, if that’s at somebody it’s a double play and it wasn’t hit great. That’s just how the game goes. At the end of the day, we gave them too many baserunners to begin with and that’s the difference.”

Julien, the fast-rising Minnesota Twins prospect a pressure all through the 4 video games, hit his second homer of the match within the seventh, however that solely reduce the Mexico benefit to 9-3.

A Tellez solo shot within the prime of the eighth promptly pushed it again up.

Ultimately, Mexico, with 9 big-leaguers within the lineup and a pitching employees full of dudes getting outs within the majors, simply had extra weapons than the Canadians did.

“We showed everybody that yeah, we have a younger team, we don’t have the big names all the other teams had, but we were able to play with them,” mentioned Julien. “We have a bunch of guys in their 20s here and in four years we’re going to be more mature. That’s going to help us win some ball games. Hopefully, everybody stays healthy, hopefully everybody gets better. But this tournament was fun. I’m happy about what the team accomplished. We won two games and we were close to moving on to the second round. It was a great experience.”

Consider that within the finale alone, Canada relied on Phillippe Aumont, who final pitched competitively within the spring of 2020 and actually got here off the farm for this, and Albers, who failed a bodily final spring to negate a minor-league cope with the Seattle Mariners, to get outs towards Mexico.

John Axford, Scott Mathieson and Adam Loewen every made emotional returns to the mound and had good moments, however that’s why the Canadians needed to combine and match their manner by the 4 video games.

An 18-8 mercy-rule win over plucky Great Britain (1-3) during which they trailed 3-0 practically turned their plans the wrong way up. The Americans mercy-ruled them 12-1 in seven innings, which in some methods wasn’t a foul end result, after which the Canadians pitched their asses off within the 5-0 win over Colombia.

“Once you get down three in the first game of the tournament and the starter is out early, that could have been a really, really big blow,” mentioned pitching coach Denis Boucher. “The hitting picked us up and that helped the pitching staff. Against the U.S., you’re looking at it on paper and it’s not even close. We tried to set our pitchers up for the Colombia and Mexico games and have those good guys available because we knew if we win the first one and the last two, then we’re moving on.”

They fell one sport brief and their probabilities at the moment are right down to the whims of destiny.

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