World Baseball Classic 2023: Scores and Reaction from Monday Pool Play Results

The United States doubled their World Baseball Classic run tally in two innings against Canada on Monday night.

Mike Trout and Trea Turner hit home runs to put the Americans up by double digits by the end of the second inning.

The Americans needed a strong response inside Chase Field after they lost 11-5 to Mexico in Pool C on Sunday.

Not only did Team USA get back on track, but it also saved some pitching for the final two Pool C games since it won by way of the mercy rule over Canada.

The run rule was used two other times on Monday. South Korea defeated China by 20 runs, and Puerto Rico threw an eight-inning perfect game against Israel.

The Dominican Republic and Colombia were comfortable winners as well in Monday's two other games.

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Pool C

United States 12, Canada 1 (Final/7)

The Americans jumped on Canada immediately to get back on a winning track.

Nolan Arenado opened up the nine-run first inning with a two-run double.

The Americans took advantage of a bad strategy call from Canada manager Ernie Whitt, who opted to start 19-year-old Mitch Blatt against the star-studded USA lineup.

Trout put the exclamation point on the opening frame with a three-run shot over the left-center field fence.

Trout's big fly wrapped up the final result for the Americans before the first frame ended. Canada provided no answers for the nine-run onslaught.

Lance Lynn ensured the Americans would have an easy night on the diamond, as he threw five solid innings on the bump.

Miles Mikolas finished off the victory with two scoreless frames. The contest ended early because of the WBC's 10-run mercy rule after seven innings.

Team USA plays next on Wednesday against Colombia. At 2-1, the United States are in a good position to advance to the knockout round. They got closer to a win-and-in situation on Wednesday thanks to Great Britain's upset earlier on Monday in Arizona.

Great Britain 7, Colombia 5

Great Britain earned its first win of the competition in the opening contest at Chase Field on Monday.

The European side scored five runs in the fourth and fifth innings to answer three early Colombian runs.

Chavez Young and Jaden Rudd each drove in two runs on hits during the middle-inning rallies.

Harry Ford provided what turned out to be the game-winning run on a solo shot in the seventh inning.

The victory marked the first-ever triumph in the WBC for Great Britain. The win means all five squads in Pool C will leave Arizona with at least one victory.

Great Britain needs to do more to get out of the group stage. Another upset win over Mexico is mandatory to have a shot at finishing in the top two positions in Pool C.

Pool D

Puerto Rico 10, Israel (Final/8)

Puerto Rico delivered the best pitching performance of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Jose De Leon's 5.2-inning, 10-strikeout performance led Puerto Rico to an eight-inning perfect game against Israel.

Three relivers held the perfect game in tact once De Leon left the game because he reached the pitch count limit.

Puerto Rico ended the game through the 10-run mercy rule in the eighth inning on a RBI single from Kike Hernandez.

There is a 15-run rule after five innings and a 10-run rule after seven innings in place in the group stage.

Puerto Rico scored runs off six extra-base hits. Francisco Lindor led the team with three RBI and he was one of four batters with multiple base knocks.

Puerto Rico and Venezuela each have two Pool D wins. Venezuela sits in first place because it beat Puerto Rico on Saturday inside loanDepot Park in Miami.

Venezuela has its two easiest games in front of it against Israel and Nicaragua, so it could be down to Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic for second place.

Dominican Republic 6, Nicaragua 1

Dominican Republic eliminated Nicaragua from knockout-round contention with a win in Miami.

Rafael Devers put the Dominican Republic ahead before any of its pitchers took the hill, as he produced a RBI single in the first.

Juan Soto and Manny Machado finished off the victory with solo home runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

The victory likely set up a winner-takes-all matchup on Wednesday for a spot in the knockout round between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

The biggest story from the Dominican Republic-Nicaragua game was Duque Hebbert's pitching performance for the losing side. Hebbert struck out the side in the ninth inning and earned a contract with the Detroit Tigers from it.

Pool B

South Korea 22, China 2

South Korea bowed out of the World Baseball Classic with a 22-2 thumping of China.

South Korea scored two runs each in the first and second innings, eight runs in the third, six runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth to end the game at its earliest time possible.

Kunwoo Park's grand slam in the fourth inning put South Korea over the 15-run lead threshold to end the game after five frames.

South Korea finished third in Pool B behind Japan and Australia. China ended the competition with an 0-4 record and a run differential of -40.