Month: March 2026

DAIKIN PARK (Houston) – Time to get beaned up, Miami. The magical run continues for undefeated Italy, which will be taking its Armani suits, espresso machines, cheek-kisses and, most importantly, high-powered offense to the World Baseball Classic semifinals after holding off a late charge from Puerto Rico in Saturday’s quarterfinal to seal an 8-6 win. Here are my takeaways: 1. Tournament Surprise Story Italy Writes Its Latest Chapter There was no letdown for Italy after upsetting Team USA in pool play, so why should the quarterfinals be any different? No stage appears too mighty or inconquerable for Italy, which continues cruising through the tournament undefeated with its compilation of primarily Italian-American prospects and neophyte big-leaguers pummeling the baseball. After hitting 12 home runs in pool play — a total that trailed only the Dominican Republic for the most in the WBC — Italy didn’t need the long ball on Saturday, instead stringing together two separate four-run rallies. Prior to Saturday, Puerto Rico hadn’t even allowed four runs in a game. The team’s pitching staff entered the quarterfinals leading the WBC with a 1.22 ERA. By game’s end, Puerto Rico allowed more runs against Italy than it had in its four pool-play games combined. All nine players in Italy’s starting lineup reached base, a testament to the depth of a lineup that continues causing more havoc than anyone imagined. Italy’s offense has scored as many runs as Team USA — and hit for more average and power — through five games. 2. Puerto Rico Strikes First; Italy Responds Immediately, Emphatically On an 0-2 count to start the game, Italy starter Sam Aldegheri left a changeup up to Willi Castro, who did not miss. Puerto Rico’s leadoff hitter sent the pitch over the Crawford Boxes in left field and sent a crowd of 34,291 — primarily pro-Puerto Rico fans — at Daikin Park into a frenzy. Puerto Rico’s players emptied out of the dugout to celebrate the blast as chants of “olé, olé, olé, olé” filled the stadium and Puerto Rico flags flew. But Italy went undefeated in pool play for a reason. Puerto Rico had its most accomplished starter on the mound. Against an Italy offense that outscored its opponents by 21 runs during pool play, it didn’t matter. Italy has showcased various ways to score throughout the competition. During pool play, it was primarily with power. In the quarterfinals, it was patience and precision. The start to the game for the Italy offense: walk, strikeout, walk, three straight RBI singles. Just like that, five batters into the game, Italy had chased 2024 All-Star Seth Lugo. The Italians tallied another run before the end of the inning on a sacrifice fly to jump out to a 4-1 lead. Three innings later, Italy’s next four-run was catalyzed by three straight walks which led to back-to-back run-scoring doubles from Andrew Fischer and J.J. D’Orazio. Back in pool play, that same duo hit back-to-back solo shots against Great Britain. D’Orazio, a 24-year-old minor leaguer with the Los Angeles Angels, has become the team’s primary catcher since Kyle Teel strained his hamstring against Team USA — and he’s running with the opportunity. 3. Puerto Rico Makes Late Charge, Will Lament Missed Opportunities Puerto Rico didn’t just fold after falling behind 8-2, responding with its own four-run rally in the eighth inning and getting the tying run to the plate in the ninth. However, it will regret the chances it let slip away right from the start. Right after Italy poured it on in the first, Puerto Rico had a chance to respond similarly. The team put four runners on base in the second inning and scored only one run with the opportunity. Aldegheri, one of three Italian-born players on Team Italy, lost his command in the second and was removed with one out after allowing two straight walks and then hitting a batter. Alek Jacob entered and then immediately hit another batter to bring in a run. But with the bases loaded, he struck out Castro and got pool-play hero Darell Hernaiz to groundout to keep Italy’s lead at two. In the seventh, Puerto Rico had another chance to rally and cut into Italy’s lead when a walk and an error put runners on the corners to start the inning. A lineout and two strikeouts followed. Puerto Rico finished the game 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. 4. Italy Goes Where It Hasn’t Before Italy has made the WBC quarterfinals twice before in its country’s history, including at the 2023 WBC. Now, it will be making its first trip to the semifinals, where it will play the winner of Saturday night’s Japan-Venezuela matchup.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Arlington, Texas — Alex Palou hadn’t left a race weekend not as the INDYCAR points leader for 21 months. So when he exited Phoenix Raceway fifth in the standings, some would think he might have lost a little swagger. Palou knows his incredible run is over, but he qualified on the front row for the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington, where Marcus Ericsson will lead an INDYCAR field to green for the first time in his career at a new temporary 2.73-mile street circuit that winds by both the Cowboys and Rangers stadiums (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET) Here are my takeaways: 1. Palou Ready To Pounce Palou won the last two points races on new road/street courses as he captured the first win at the new Detroit course and also won last year at Thermal. Can he make it three in a row and cut into his 19-point deficit on leader Josef Newgarden. [ARLINGTON PREVIEW: Everything to Know About Inaugural Race] “[Those wins] mean nothing,” Palou said in his post-qualifying news conference. “It means more that the team does a good job not having data and being able to put the car. “I felt good at both Detroit, Thermal, and here as well. I feel we have a good car. I feel very confident with the track.” Both Palou and Newgarden downplayed the fact that Palou — a four-time series champion who has won the title the last three years — isn’t leading the standings two races into the season. “It’s crazy, crazy numbers, crazy statistics,” Palou said in a news conference Friday about that streak. 2. Ericsson Long Road To Pole This was the first pole for Marcus Ericsson in 117 career starts. [POWER RANKINGS: Who is on top at Arlington?] The former Formula 1 driver and former Chip Ganassi Racing driver finished 20th in the standings last year at Andretti Global, and doesn’t hide from the fact that this will be his last year there if he doesn’t perform. “I was very pissed off really after last year and the way I performed, especially the second half,” Ericsson said in his post-qualifying news conference. “I just felt like I didn’t recognize myself as a driver. I wasn’t aggressive, I lost confidence. I put a lot of work in in the offseason, tried to drive different things. “I jumped in GT3 cars and all kinds of things to build up my confidence and sort of enjoyment of driving race cars again.” 3. Newgarden, McLaughlin Wreck It was a long day for Team Penske as its mechanics had to repair cars throughout the day. Josef Newgarden wrecked in Saturday’s morning practice and Scott McLaughlin hit the wall in qualifying. Newgarden had to go to a backup car (a little bit of a surprise since the wreck didn’t appear too hard) and McLaughlin’s car will need repair. McLaughlin will start tail of the field in 25th while Newgarden starts 11th. While the track does appear racy enough where they can pass, they both are in somewhat significant holes. Newgarden said he just locked up the rear wheels and “ran out of room” while McLaughlin started a turn too early. Newgarden said on the FS1 telecast: “The speed’s been great, so hopefully it’s all good.” No one should be surprised by the wrecks. They are all trying to maximize speed and learning the course. It is typical for those type of incidents when drivers come to a track for the first time. 4. Wind Worries With wind gusts of up to 50 miles an hour, INDYCAR officials opted to move the race an hour earlier with a green flag in the vicinity of noon ET. The move was made for general safety reasons — from workers and fans trying to navigate the facility, which has plenty of temporary structures, as well as lifts being used to broadcast and officiate the race. “Sounds like a tailwind down into Turn 10 there [after the 0.9-mile backstretch] — it’s going to make it fun,” McLaughlin told me and other reporters. “A lot of slipstreaming and passing.” 4 ½. What’s Next Drivers might get a better feel of the wind and how it could impact them in their warmup Sunday morning (9:30 a.m. ET, FS1). They then will battle for 70 laps in what is expected to be an electric crowd to witness the inaugural race.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports