Ozzie Albies hit a game-winning three-run homer within the backside of the ninth inning to steer the Netherlands over Nicaragua on Saturday in Miami.
The Netherlands started its two-out rally on Ceddanne Rafaela’s single in opposition to reliever Angel Obando. Xander Bogaerts doubled, advancing Rafaela to 3rd earlier than Albies hit Obando’s first pitch over the wall in proper.
The Netherlands improved to 1-1 in Group D. Nicaragua dropped to 0-2.
Jeter Downs hit a go-ahead two-run homer within the eighth to place Nicaragua forward 3-1. He drove a sinker from Netherlands reliever Lars Huijer over the wall in left-center. Huijer threw two innings of reduction for the win.
The Netherlands stranded 14 baserunners and was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring place earlier than Albies’ homer.
Rafaela, Bogaerts and Druw Jones all had two hits for the Netherlands.
Nicaragua starter Erasmo Ramirez plunked Albies with the bases loaded within the third, giving the Netherlands a 1-0 lead. Ramirez allowed one run and 5 hits over 5 innings, whereas Netherlands starter Jaitoine Kelly threw two scoreless innings.
OZZIE ALBIES!
A #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC WALK-OFF HOMER FOR TEAM NETHERLANDS 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/T2HRyL233M
— World Baseball Basic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026
Ohtani homers once more as Japan beats South Korea
Shohei Ohtani homered for the second straight day, Seiya Suzuki went deep twice, and defending champion Japan beat South Korea 8-6 on Saturday night time in Tokyo and improved to 2-0 on the World Baseball Basic.
Suzuki drove in 4 runs and Masataka Yoshida homered and had three RBIs for the Samurai Warriors, who overcame a 3-0, first-inning deficit.
A day after hitting a grand slam in a 13-0 win over Taiwan, Ohtani hit a tying house run on a dangling curve from Younger Pyo Ko within the third.
Suzuki hit a two-run homer within the second. Two batters after Ohtani’s drive, Suzuki chased Ko by homering for a 4-3 lead. Yoshida homered on reliever Byeong Hyeon Jo’s second pitch.
Hyeseong Kim’s two-run homer in opposition to Hiromi Ito tied the rating within the fourth for South Korea (1-1).
Suzuki put Japan forward for good at 6-5 when he drew a bases-loaded stroll from Younger Kyu Kim in a three-run seventh that included Yoshida’s two-run single.
Ju Gained Kim minimize South Korea’s deficit with an RBI single off Yuki Matsumoto within the eighth earlier than Hyeseong Kim stranded the bases loaded when he struck out in opposition to Yuki Matsumoto.
Successful pitcher Atsuki Taneichi struck out the facet within the seventh, and Taisei Ota obtained three straight outs on seven pitches for the save.
Japan and Australia are 2-0 in Group C and meet Sunday because the favorites to advance to the quarterfinals.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was on the sport, a day after actor Timothée Chalamet and pop singer Dangerous Bunny attended.
Naylor brothers’ protection, Caissie’s 2-run HR lead Canada over Colombia
A run-saving defensive play by brothers Josh and Bo Naylor boosted Canada within the first inning at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Owen Caissie hit a go-ahead, two-run homer within the second off emergency starter Austin Bergner as Canada downed Colombia 8-2.
Julio Teheran was a last-minute scratch as Colombia’s beginning pitcher, leaving 35-year-old Bergner, who final pitched in MLB in 2024, to tackle the short-notice begin after Teheran felt proper shoulder impingement whereas warming up.
Canada gained its opener whereas Colombia dropped to 0-2 in Group A.
Michael Arroyo led off the sport with a single off Michael Soroka, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Reynaldo Rodriguez grounded to first baseman Josh Naylor, who threw to brother Bo on the plate for the tag.
That was one among 4 Colombia outs on the bases. Rodriguez and Jesus Marriaga had been caught stealing by Bo Naylor, and Daniel Vellojin was thrown out attempting to achieve second on a dropped fly ball within the ninth inning.
Arroyo minimize Colombia’s deficit with an RBI single within the third off Soroka, who allowed 4 hits over three innings for the win. Abraham Toro restored a two-run lead with a bases-loaded stroll within the backside half from Emerson Martinez.
Josh Naylor had a run-scoring single within the seventh that drove in Denzel Clarke, a cousin, after Marriaga dropped Clarke’s fly to proper for an error.
Harold Ramirez had an RBI double within the eighth. With two on and two outs, Gio Urshela swung and missed at three straight sliders from Eric Cerantola.
Toro had an RBI triple in a four-run backside half and scored on Bo Naylor’s single.
Phillippe Aumont, who final pitched within the main leagues in 2015, struck out Tito Polo for the ultimate out.
The Related Press contributed to this story.