Mexico just got by Great Britain in World Classic Baseball action at Chase Field in Phoenix on Tue Mar 14, 2023 (photo from yahoo.com sports)

Great Britain. 1. 4. 1

Mexico. 2. 7. 0

Time: 3:05

Attendance: 17,705

Tue March 14, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

PHOENIX–Following Canada’s 5-0 triumph over Colombia this afternoon, the won-lost numbers in the Chase Field edition of this year’s World Baseball Classic’s first round were:

USA 2-1 Canada. 2-1 Mexico 1-1 Colombia 1-2 Great Britain 1-2

Here’s what they look like now that Mexico has defeated Great Britain, 2-1, in an unexpectedly tight game.

USA. 2-1 Canada. 2-1 Mexico. 2-1 Colombia. 1-2 Great Britain 1-3

Tomorrow’s match ups are Mexico against Canada at noon and the US against Colombia at 7:00. Since only the the top two teams on the table will advance to Miami for the quarterfinals, this series is up for grabs, and it’s likely that the rules for tie breaking will play in important part in the seeding for the next round of the WBC.

Game recap: Team Mexico sent veteran righty Taijuan Walker to the mound to face the underdog British squad. Walker, who last year went 12-5, 3.49 for the New York Mets and had been a National League all-star in 2021, currently toils for the Philadelphia Phillies. Tuesday night, he pitched well, going just about as long as the pitch count limits allowed him to go. He hurled four full frames, using up 63 of his allotment of 65.

40 of those those were considered Strikes. He didn’t allow a Brit to cross the plate. The only Brit he allowed to reach base was Harry Ford, the catcher from the Modesto Nuts who had hit an inside the park home run on the 13th. Tonight, he legged out a double to left center and walked against Walker.

Walker’s very opposite number for the British, Joseph King, also throws from the starboard side. He turned 22 last month and provides a local angle for Bay Area fans. Unlike the 30 year old Walker, King has no professional experience. Still, he pitched well enough for UC Berkeley to be a ninth round pick for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2022 draft.

’The proto-rookie’s only official performance as a pro came last Sunday, March 12th, when he faced three batters from Team Canada in the twinkling on an eye, 2/3 of an inning, walking one but notching a K and not allowing a hit. He’s expected to start his regular season pro career in the rookie level Florida Coast League.

Tonight, the youngster lasted only one frame longer than his debut. He had some problems with his control, granting a pair of free passes and unleashing a costly wild pitch. He allowed three hits and one run. That run came in the second frame on an infield single by Alexis Wilson that plated Issac Paredes, who had opened the inning with a double to right center and advanced to third on the wild pitch.

The young starter was charged with an earned run. He threw 34 pitches, 16 of which were counted as strikes. Ryan Long relieved him and closed out the episode when center fielder TrayceThompon grabbed Rowdy Arozarena’s hard hit ine drive.

Jonathán Aranda almost got a leadoff leg double two frames later, but a splendid throw by right fielder Chavez Young to shortstop Darnell Sweeney cut Aranda down at second.

Southpaw Erubiel Armenta replaced Walker to opernthe fifth, pitched to three batters, walked two of them, picked one off, and then left for righty Manuel Barreda, who faced one batter, whom he retired to end the inning. He was followed ro the mound by Manuel Barreda with two down in the top of the frame.

The soldiers of the king defeated The Curse of the lead off double in their half of the sixth. . Chavez Young laced a two bagger into the right field corner to start things against Barreda, who got Thompson to swing at miss on what looked like a pretty nasty slider for a strike out, followed by Nick Ward’s pop yup to third.

That brought up the dangerous Henry Ford, who worked a walk, during which Young swiped third and after which Barreda took a shower, and Jo JoRomero was brought in to face the switch hitting BJ Murry, Jr. He legged out a single to deep short, driving in Young and moving Ford to third.

Romero proceeded to fan D’Shawn Knowles, who had replaced Koperniak as DH in the fifth, but the damage was done. The band of brothers had tied the mighty Mexicans, 1-1.

Tahnaj Thomas took over the pitches chores for Great Britain once the mid seventh inning communal chorus had finished its two minutes performance. The Edenborough native walked Alán Trejo and retired Jarren Durán on a soft liner to third.

Then, disaster struck. Thomas let loose a wild pith that allowed Trejo to take second, whence Alexis Wilson’s solid single to left drove him home. Daniel Cooper came in from the bullpen to relieve Thomas, but Mexico was back on top, 2-1, when the frame ended with Arozamena fanning and Verdugo grounding out to first.

Jesús Cruz faced the top of the British lineup in the visitors’ eighth. Young grounded out to first. Then Thompson went down with his fourth consecutive strike out, all of them swinging. Cruz also fanned Ward to end the inning.

Joey Meneses greeted Andre Scrubb, who entered the game to hurl the eight for Great Britain, with a Texas League single to right center. He went to second on a passed ball when with one out and Paredes at bat, Ford allowed a passed ball. Meneses held his base, and the following batter, Aranda grounded out to second. It still was a one run game when Great Britain got its last chance to stay alive in the tournament.

Mexico’s brain truer entrusted the job of stopping them to Giovanny Gallejos. He struck out Ford swinging. He got BJ Murray, Jr., out on a grounder to second. Pinch http Alex Croby fouled off his first two deliveries. On Galllego’s third offering, Crosby lifted a fly ball to left, Arozamena caught it, and Mexico won 2-1, raising its record, also now 2-1.

The win went to Romero, and Thomas took the loss. Gallegos got the loss.

This series is turning out to be a lot of fun!