Aaron Judge powers US to a 15-5 WBC-opening win vs. Brazil

MLB

The Americans walked 17 times and forced Brazil to throw 221 pitches.

By Associated Press

March 7, 2026 | 1:16 AM

6 minutes to read

Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer and Bryce Turang had three hits and four RBIs to lead the United States to a 15-5 victory over Brazil in the opener of the World Baseball Classic on Friday night.

There was one out and one on when Judge, the first player to commit to the team last April, made contact with Bo Takahashi at Daikin Park in Houston.

Lucas Ramirez – with his father, 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez, in attendance – played twice for Brazil. He cut the deficit to 2-1 with his walk-off homer, and his solo shot in the eighth minute put Brazil ahead 8-5.

At 20 years and 49 days, he became the youngest player in WBC history to play a multi-award game.

Byron Buxton had a hit in the fifth inning to push the Americans’ lead to 4-1. Turang cleared the bases with a double to left field two pitches later to make it 7-1.

Brazil is participating in the World Boxing Championships for the second time and first since 2013. The team fell to 0-4 all-time in the tournament after losing to Japan, Cuba and China in 2013.

Another highlight for Brazil came when Joseph Contreras, a 17-year-old high school senior, coaxed the umpire into a bases-loaded double play to end the second inning. Contreras, the youngest player in the WBC this year, is the son of pitcher Jose Contreras, who played 11 seasons in the MLB.

Lucas Rojo scored an RBI single for Brazil in the seventh inning before a Victor Mascay double off Michael Wacha cut the lead to 7-4.

Bryce Harper’s RBI single got things going in the ninth as the USA racked up seven more runs.

The Americans walked 17 times and forced Brazil to throw 221 pitches.

On Saturday, Brazil faces Italy, while the United States plays Britain on Saturday.

Shohei Ohtani doubled on the first pitch of the game, then hit a go-ahead grand slam and an RBI single in a 10-run second inning to lead defending champion Japan over Taiwan 13-0 on Friday night in the opener of the WBC Championship.

Three shy of a spin in the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani was denied a bunt by first baseman Nien-Ting Wu in the fourth.

The bout was called after seven rounds under the tournament’s mercy rule. Yu Chang had the lone hit for Taiwan (0-2), a leadoff single in the sixth round off Koki Kitayama.

With the visiting Japanese team, Ohtani homered to right on a low outside curveball from loser Hao-Chun Cheng, a 102.4 mph drive that traveled 368 feet. The first half lasted 28 minutes.

Kazuma Okamoto hit an RBI single in the third off Tzu-Chen Sha.

Winner Yoshinobu Yamamoto, last season’s World Series MVP, walked three times in 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Shoma Fujihira relieved with the bases loaded and An-Ko Lin struck out.

Willie Castro hit an RBI double in a five-run fifth inning, sending Puerto Rico to victory in their Series A opener against Colombia.

Seth Lugo pitched over four innings of three-hit ball for Puerto Rico. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.

Harold Ramirez recorded three of Columbia’s six hits.

Puerto Rico collected each of its five hits in the fifth at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

Carlos Cortes hit a single and scored on an error by third baseman Gio Urshela. Eddie Rosario singled home to Darryl Hernaz, and Martin Maldonado chased Adrian Almeida with another run-scoring single.

Rosario scored on a Castro line drive to right off David Lourduy, and Heliot Ramos added a sacrifice fly.

Columbia threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs. But Fernando Cruz retired pinch hitter Jordan Diaz on a fly ball to right, ending the inning.

Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for Puerto Rico, striking out the side after Tito Polo’s single.

José Quintana started for Colombia and threw three hitless innings. The left-hander threw 31 pitches, 19 of them for strikes.

Both teams play again on Saturday. Puerto Rico faces Panama, and Colombia faces Canada.

In Houston, Jonathan Aranda opened the game with a three-run home run in the eighth inning to lead Mexico in Group B.

The game was tied 1-1 after a single by both teams when Gary Gale Hill struck out the first two batters in the eighth inning. He then issued back-to-back walks to Jarren Duran and Arozarena before Aranda lofted a low fastball into the left field seats.

The crowd, mostly Mexican fans, exploded when Aranda gave him a tour around the bases.

Alec Thomas extended the lead with a single in the ninth inning and Joey Ortiz added an RBI double before Arozarena drove in a walk-off single that made it 8-1.

Nacho Alvarez Jr. gave Mexico a 1-0 lead in the second period and Harry Ford tied the score in the sixth.

Jack Anderson started for Britain, allowing two hits and one run on three hits in three innings. Mexican starter Javier Asaad allowed two hits while striking out two runs in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

Trayce Thompson, younger brother of NBA star Klay Thompson, hit two for Britain, capped by an RBI double in the ninth inning.

Britain will face the United States on Saturday evening, and Mexico will resume playing on Sunday evening against Brazil.

In Miami, the Marlins’ Javier Sanoga homered on his home field, Wilson Contreras had a two-run single to highlight the fifth with four runs and Venezuela opened pool play with a win over the Netherlands.

Sanoja, Contreras and Wiler Abreu each scored twice for Venezuela, while Luis Arraez drove in two runs and Ronald Acuña Jr. scored twice.

Venezuelan starter Ranger Suarez allowed three hits and one run in two innings.

Drew Jones — the son of Dutch manager and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Andrew Jones — drove in both Dutchies, first with a tying double in the second and then a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Antwone Kelly started on the mound for Holland, giving up four hits and two runs in three innings.

The two teams will return to competitions on Saturday, as the Netherlands will meet Nicaragua and Venezuela will meet Israel.

Australia (2-0) defeated the Czech Republic (0-2) in Tokyo behind a three-run homer in the third inning by Curtis Mead of the Chicago White Sox off loser Tomas Ondra to remain unbeaten in Group C.

Australia, who lost to Cuba in the 2023 quarter-finals, led 3-1 when Mead returned after the Czechs failed to convert a potential double play. Alex Hall added a solo homer off Ryan Johnson in a two-run ninth.

Vojtech Mensik hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning for the Czechs.

Josh Hendrickson allowed one run and two hits over three innings.

Yoán Moncada and Yoelquis Guibert knocked out Logan Allen in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Cuba won their WBC opener for the first time since 2013.

Cuba, which lost the 2006 final to Japan and the 2023 semifinal to the United States, is missing several top Cuban-born players, including Aroldis Chapman, Randy Arozarena and Luis Robert Jr.

Guibert went deep on a 2-0 high fastball in the second inning, then Moncada in the first pulled a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the strike zone for his first home run off a left-hander since Sept. 28, 2023, off Arizona’s Kyle Nelson.

Panama’s Johan Camargo had an RBI single in the seventh inning against Emmanuel Chapman and with runners on the corners, Darren Nunez retired Christian Bethancourt in the bottom of the first inning.

Allen, a Florida native whose mother was born in Panama, allowed three runs and five hits in three innings, taking the loss. Winner Levan Moinello gave up two hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

Cuba did not have a starter after the fifth. Rydel Martinez had three consecutive saves.

Junior Caminero had the go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning as the Dominican Republic beat Nicaragua before a crowd of 35,127 to conclude the first day of Group D at Loan Depot Park in Miami.

Julio Rodriguez and Onel Cruz also went deep for the Dominican Republic, which opened the scoring late after Caminero’s homer snapped the tie with a 3-0.

Manny Machado’s brace in the sixth period preceded Caminero’s blast. Rodriguez’s leadoff homer and Cruz’s three-run blast highlighted a six-run eighth.

After a drive from Nicaraguan reliever Steven Cruz cleared the center field wall, Caminero pumped his chest in joy as he pointed to the crowd as he circled the bases. Then his teammates attacked Caminero when he touched the board.

The Dominican Republic took the lead with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Seranthony Domínguez pitched the sixth for the win. Eight Dominican relievers threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings after starter Christopher Sanchez got just four innings pitched.

Nicaragua hounded Sanchez during the second round. Freddy Zamora hit an RBI double and scored from third on an error by left fielder Juan Soto to put Nicaragua ahead 3-2.