Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper Lead USA to Dominant Win Ahead of World Baseball Classic
The United States demonstrated its formidable lineup at the upcoming World Baseball Classic, wasting no time in showcasing its potential. In an exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants, the Americans took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to Bobby Witt Jr.'s single, Bryce Harper's double, and Aaron Judge's two-run single. The U.S. team ultimately won 15-1, with 19 hits in the 10-inning contest, including two-run homers from Roman Anthony and Alex Bregman, and a two-run double from Gunnar Henderson.
Harper praised the team's dynamic, stating, 'We've got a great group of guys. Bobby Witt starting it at the top, being a table-setter up there for us. One through nine, we've got a pretty good dynamic. We've just got to continue to be good.'
National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes had an impressive outing, giving up only one run and one hit while striking out four over three innings. The right-hander's performance was highlighted by a leadoff double to Willy Adames, who scored on a groundout. Skenes' control and composure were notable, as he retired his last nine batters.
Skenes expressed his excitement, saying, 'It's a spring-training game, but it's still surreal. It's going to be exciting when we get to Houston and it's the real deal.'
The U.S. team is on a mission to win its second WBC title, and manager Mark DeRosa is thrilled with the team's camaraderie. He noted, 'You look down the dugout, you're seeing Bregman talking to Roman Anthony, you're seeing (Tarik) Skubal and Skenes on the top step, you're seeing Judge and (Cal) Raleigh talking. That's what I wanted to create, the coaching staff wanted to create — an environment where these guys didn't want to leave.'
Bregman, who lives in the Phoenix area, hosted several U.S. teammates for dinner, including 23-time U.S. gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps, who motivated the group with his insights on controlling the controllables and getting after it.
The U.S. team will play one more exhibition game in Arizona on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies before traveling to Houston on Thursday to prepare for the group stage. Logan Webb will start the opener against Brazil on Friday, followed by Tarik Skubal against Britain on Saturday and Skenes vs. Mexico on Monday.
Nolan McLean, a New York Mets right-hander, is tentatively scheduled to start on Tuesday in the final pool-play game against Italy, despite dealing with vertigo-like symptoms. DeRosa assured fans that McLean's health was improving.
Tarik Skubal is expected to make just one start for the U.S. before rejoining the Detroit Tigers for the remainder of spring training.
