Team USA manager Mark DeRosa described his team as having a "new lease on life" after narrowly advancing to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals, walking back an earlier, inaccurate claim that his team had already qualified DeRosa had called the remark, made on MLB Network, an "overly confident statement"
The comment preceded a critical match against Italy, which Team USA subsequently lost 8-6, a result that stripped them of control over their tournament destiny The loss put the American squad in a precarious position, with their advancement dependent on the outcome of a later game between Italy and Mexico Fortunately for the American team, Italy’s subsequent 9-1 victory over Mexico created a tiebreaker scenario that allowed Team USA Baseball to advance
DeRosa reiterated that he knew nothing was guaranteed at the time of his initial statement With their tournament hopes unexpectedly revived, the United States now prepares for a quarterfinal matchup against Canada on Friday
ISN MEDIA