United States national baseball team stayed undefeated at the World Baseball Classic with a 5–3 victory over Mexico national baseball team on Monday night in Houston.

Home runs from Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony fueled a big third inning that ultimately decided the game, helping the United States improve to 3–0 in Group B play.

Big Third Inning Lifts the United States

The turning point came in the third inning. After Bryce Harper reached base, Judge launched a two-run homer to give Team USA an early lead.

Moments later, Anthony delivered an even bigger hit. With runners on base, the young slugger blasted a three-run homer to right-center field, extending the American advantage to 5–0.

The offensive burst proved enough to hold off Mexico despite a late push.

Strong Pitching and Defense

Starting pitcher Paul Skenes delivered a dominant performance for the United States. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner allowed just one hit and struck out seven batters across four innings.

One of the key defensive moments also came from Judge, who threw out a runner attempting to reach third base, preserving Skenes’ strong outing and keeping Mexico off the scoreboard early.

Mexico Fights Back

Mexico’s offense was led by Jarren Duran, who hit two home runs in the game. His second blast came in the eighth inning and briefly sparked hopes of a comeback.

Mexico managed to narrow the score to 5–3, but the U.S. bullpen shut the door late in the game to secure the win.

Electric Atmosphere in Houston

The game took place at a packed stadium in Houston, where a crowd of more than 41,000 fans created a lively atmosphere that heavily favored Mexico.

Despite the crowd support for the opposition, the United States maintained control thanks to its third-inning power surge.

What Comes Next

With the victory, the United States remains undefeated in Group B and will face Italy national baseball team next. A win would secure the Americans a place in the tournament’s quarterfinals.

Mexico, now 2–1 in the group, will also face Italy in its final group-stage matchup as the race for advancement continues.

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