Team USA vs Italy: WBC Live Stream, TV Channel & How to Watch
HOUSTON — Team USA stands on the cusp of a dominant run through Pool B of the World Baseball Classic, needing only a victory to secure a quarterfinal berth. Following a 5-3 win over rival Mexico Monday night at Daikin Park, the U.S. Remains undefeated with one crucial game remaining.
That game comes Tuesday against an equally impressive Italy squad, also boasting a 2-0 record and harboring ambitions of their own in this Classic. The stakes are high, and the potential for a complex tiebreaker scenario looms large.
“All these teams are excellent in this tournament. It’s not just them. But it’s going to be fun to go against those boys,” Italy’s Miles Mastrobuoni said. “We’re going to give them everything we’ve got, for sure.”
The win over Mexico, fueled by home runs from Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony, wasn’t a guaranteed path to the quarterfinals. A three-way tie for first place between the U.S., Italy, and Mexico remains a possibility, contingent on the outcome of Wednesday’s Italy-Mexico matchup. Only two teams from Pool B are guaranteed to advance, adding significant pressure to Tuesday’s contest.
“They’ve got a great roster,” U.S. Manager Mark DeRosa said. “And to be honest with you, with Mexico playing Italy the day after us, we will approach it like it’s a must-win game.”
The matchup is set for at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT at Daikin Park, and will be broadcast on FS1. The entire tournament is being shown across the FOX Sports family of networks, with live streaming available on the FOX Sports App and Tubi. Netflix Japan will also stream all games in Japanese.
Free English-language audio streams are available for every game.
Team USA is riding a wave of momentum, having defeated Brazil (15-5) on Friday, Great Britain (9-1) on Saturday, and Mexico (5-3) on Monday. The victory over Mexico marked the first time the U.S. Had beaten their southern rivals in the World Baseball Classic since 2006.
Italy has also impressed, securing wins against Brazil (8-0) and Great Britain (7-4). Their offensive firepower has been evident, with five home runs hit in those two games – two from Dante Nori, and one each from Dominic Canzone, Andrew Fischer, and J.J. D’Orazio.
A win for the United States on Tuesday would guarantee first place in Pool B and a direct path to the quarterfinals in Houston. However, an Italian upset could significantly complicate matters. If Italy defeats the U.S. And then loses to Mexico on Wednesday, a three-way tie at 3-1 would ensue, forcing the application of the WBC tiebreaker rules to determine which two teams advance. The U.S. Is understandably keen to avoid that scenario.
Conversely, if Italy were to defeat both the U.S. And Mexico, they would win Pool B, and the U.S. Would advance as the second seed.
The history between the two nations in the World Baseball Classic is limited. The U.S. And Italy have met only once before, in the first round of the 2013 tournament at Chase Field in Arizona. Team USA emerged victorious in that contest, 6-2, thanks to a tiebreaking grand slam from David Wright – a moment that earned him the moniker “Captain America” long before Aaron Judge donned the uniform.
Tuesday’s game promises to be a compelling clash between two undefeated teams, each with a clear path to the quarterfinals, but also facing the potential for a complex and unpredictable finish to Pool B play. The U.S., buoyed by strong pitching from Paul Skenes and power hitting from Judge and Anthony, will look to close out the group stage with a decisive victory and avoid a tense final day of calculations.