On Thursday night, at 8 pm local time, at Estadio Panamericano Charros de Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico, current No. 2 KONAMI/WBSC Men’s Baseball World Ranking Mexico will take on No. 5 USA. in the last match of the first round of Group A of the Premier12 WBSC 2024 presented by RAXUS.
Both teams had high expectations for the tournament ahead of the WBSC Premier12, but have had mixed results on the field so far. The US defeated the Netherlands 12-2 and Panama 9-3, while losing 0-1 to Puerto Rico and 3-5 to Venezuela, for a 2-2 record. Mexico nearly fell to 1-3 in the eighth inning of its game Wednesday against the Netherlands, when Juan Perez turned a two-run deficit into an 8-6 victory with a grand slam. They lost 4-8 against Venezuela and 2-3 against Panama, and won 7-5 against Puerto Rico.
Mexico is hitting .231/.342/.410 in four games, scoring 21 runs on 31 hits so far. Alonso Gaitán leads the team with ten hits, five runs and four RBIs. José Rojas has driven in six runs. In pitching, the team has a collective ERA of 5.25. Manager Benjamín Gil has once again entrusted the ball to Luis Miranda as the starting pitcher. He struggled in the first game against Venezuela, allowing four runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings.
For his part, US manager Mike Scioscia puts his trust in his pitcher from the first game. Veteran left-hander Rich Hill will return to the mound after his performance against Puerto Rico. He was solid Saturday, allowing two hits and two walks in three scoreless innings. The US pitching staff is the best in Group A so far, with a collective ERA of 2.65. The team has combined for 37 strikeouts and seven walks in 34 innings pitched. At bat, they are hitting .283/.382/.465 with 24 runs and 36 hits.
Both teams have had good results in the WBSC Premier12. The US finished second in 2015 and fourth in 2019. Mexico was fourth in 2015 and third in 2019. Now, their path to the Super Round is in danger. In head-to-head meetings, the US has an 11-6 advantage over Mexico since 2011.
The two teams last met in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with Mexico winning 11-5 in the first round. They have already met four times in the WBSC Premier12. In 2015, the US won 10-0 in the first round and 6-1 in the semifinals. In 2019, Mexico prevailed 8-2 in the first round and 3-2 in the bronze medal match.
