Team USA’s road to a repeat in the 2023 World Baseball Classic began with a victory.
After falling behind 1-0 to Great Britain in the first inning, the defending champions rolled to a 6-2 win on Saturday night. Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run home run and Nolan Arenado drove in two runs during a three-hit game.
The Americans won’t have much time to enjoy the 1-0 start, though, as they’ll be right back at Chase Field on Sunday to face Mexico.
Mexico dropped its opening game 5-4 to Colombia in a 10-inning thriller on Saturday. So Randy Arozarena, Alex Verdugo and Co. will be eager to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole.
Here’s what you need to know before Team USA takes on Mexico in Phoenix.
What are the Pool C World Baseball Classic standings?
Entering play Sunday, Team USA and Colombia are tied atop Pool C with 1-0 records. Great Britain and Mexico are both 0-1, while Canada is yet to play a game.
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Following a four-game round-robin, the top two teams from Pool C will advance to the quarterfinals.
What time does the Team USA vs. Mexico World Baseball Classic game start?
First pitch at Chase Field is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.
What TV channel is the Team USA vs. Mexico World Baseball Classic game on?
The U.S.-Mexico showdown will air on Fox Sports 1.
How to stream Team USA vs. Mexico in the World Baseball Classic
The game is also available to stream on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.
Who are the starting pitchers for Team USA and Mexico?
Team USA-Mexico features an intriguing pitching matchup. San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Martinez will be on the mound for the Stars and Stripes. After a four-year stint in Japan, the 32-year-old Martinez returned to the bigs last season and posted a 3.47 ERA over 47 appearances, which included 10 starts.
Los Angeles Angels left-hander Patrick Sandoval will take the ball for Mexico. Sandoval, 26, sported an impressive 2.91 ERA over 27 starts in 2022.
What is Team USA's projected lineup vs. Mexico?
It's hard to imagine manager Mark DeRosa putting Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado or Trea Turner on the bench.
But with a southpaw on the mound for Mexico, we could see Tim Anderson and Pete Alonso enter Team USA's starting lineup for Jeff McNeil and either Kyle Schwarber or Kyle Tucker.
It also wouldn't be surprising if Will Smith takes over behind the dish after J.T. Realmuto caught the opener.