Colombia vs Mexico commentary, scores, stats and updates: 2023 World Baseball Classic
Colombia stuns Mexico 5-4
Colombia stun Mexico in 10-inning WBC opener
In a game that started out as a pitching duel, the middle innings opened up and became a shootout, before both teams found closers to bring it back into a pitching duel. Colombia had to empty the tank, running through their bullpen, but with tomorrow off they can afford it. Mexico used fewer pitchers but will need them again tomorrow against the USA.
Pool C predictors had Mexico finishing second and now with this loss, they will need a bit of luck to see that through. After the USA, they still have to face Canada and Great Britain, both of whom they should beat, but any slipup will see their campaign end in a shocking way.
Colombia by contrast are in a stronger positiion, even having to face the same teams, because they were not expected to be in the running so can now play a little freer, a little more loose. In the end, if either of these teams drop a game to Canada or Great Britain then they will be done. And if not, then the head to head is in Colombia's hands.
This game was one of the most thrilling games that you are likely to see and it became an extra inning classic, in a tournament called "Classic".
That is going to be it from our live coverage, but check out all of our Diario AS USA coverage of the World Baseball Classic! We will be back with Great Britain vs USA and Mexico vs USA tomorrow. Have a great evening!
Zúñiga hits 102!
Whatever you think about that last strike, Guillermo Zúñiga was throwing fire and if you don't know his name, remember it. You will be seeing him again.
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Final strike
This is that same borderline high/outside strike that both teams have complained about. But you know he is giving it, so you have to at least poke the bat out there.
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Arozarena's home run
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Rodriguez's home run
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The count is 2-2. Zúñiga has thrown nothing under 99mph for two innings and if you don't know his name, remember it. A change up at 89 mph catches the outside corner for a called strike three! It is that same controversial call, so Mexico will not be happy, but Colombia have pulled off the upset. Colombia win the game 5-4
Paredes needs to do something, anything with the ball to keep Mexico in this. Colombia are just inches from upsetting Pool C in game one.
Duran takes third standing up. The throw was amazing but there was just no chance. Man he can fly!
Tellez flies one to shallow left for the second out. It was too close to third for Duran to advance. So Isaac Paredes is Mexico's last gasp.
Tellez comes up with one out and Duran at second. Duran can really fly so he could steal third here.
The Colombian comes with nothing but heat and goes down 1,2,3
Bottom 10th
Jarren Duran pinch runs for Alex Verdugo as Joey Meneses faces Zúñiga in the bottom of the tenth.
He gets a great breaking ball and goes down swinging. We head to the bottom of the tenth with Colombia up 5-4
With two outs, Frias works the count to 2-2
Frias comes to the plate and Colombia have the lead. Of course with this format, Mexico will also start with a runner on second so Colombia would really want another to put the pressure on.
He hits one to short but it is spinning and can't be fielded cleanly. Alfaro scores and the runners move to first and second.
Pertuz comes in and tries to bunt with runners on the corner. It pops into the air and Tellez makes the catch. What a mistake! Two down now and Gustavo Campero will have to come up with something big to score a run.
Rodriguez hits a bullet to third, and Paredes knocks it down! What an athletic play. He couldn't hold on to it so there was no play, but at least Alfaro didn't score.
Alexis Wilson is in behind the plate for Mexico after Austin Barnes was pinch run for, and he is given a workout quickly.
With one away, Reynaldo Rodriguez comes to the plate.
Diaz flies deep to right and Alfaro tags up to move over to third.
Top 10th
Jesus Cruz comes on for Mexico and will face Diaz. There is the Manfred Man in play here, so Alfaro starts out on second base.
Zúñiga digs in and hits 101 for a swing and miss. Then 100 for a swing and miss. And then 102 for a swing and miss strike out! We are headed to extra innings!
Mexico pinch run Barnes who as a catcher isn't the fastest in the world. Colombia give Arozarena a pass and so Mexico have runners at first and second with Verdugo at the plate.
He slaps one through the gap in right center for a double! Randy Arozarena comes to the plate with the winning run at second.
Austin Barnes comes to the plate as Mexico's last chance to win it in nine.
Alek Thomas comes to the plate and gets nothing but heat. He fouls a few back and then chops one to first for an easy play to the bag. Two up and two down for Zúñiga.
A slider digs in and Aranda can't hold up for strike three. One down.
The count quickly gets to 2-2 and Aranda fouls off a 100mph fastball.
Zúñiga hits 99 mph. Throwing heat.
Bottom 9th
Guillermo Zúñiga will take the mound and try and force extra innings. Jonathan Aranda pinch hits for Trejo.
Gallegos spikes a slider for a ball and we get the 1-2 delivery. High heat and Alfaro swings through it. We head to the bottom of the ninth. Mexico can walk it off, but Colombia are looking to push it to extra innings.
Alfaro fouls two more off.
The crowd are on their feet! This is serious noise.
He is aggressive and gets behind 0-2 quickly
Jorge Alfaro comes up, Colombia's last chance to try and keep this game in regulation.
Gio Urshela comes to the plate and hits the first pitch to third. 5-4-3 and just like that, Mexico have the bases clean and two outs.
The third pitch is a high fastball that Ramirez smacks into center field for a single.
Ramirez hacks at the first two and fouls them both off. He is in a tight spot.
Top 9th
Giovanny Gallegos takes the mound for Mexico here in the ninth and will face Ramirez.
Garcia delivers a high fastball that catches the top outside corner. That is a call that the umpire has been giving and neither team has been liking. It is consistent, if borderline. We head to nine all tied up.
He gets into a quick hole with two quick strikes.
Luis Urías comes to the plate trying to get something started here for Mexico.
He flies one out to center field, a routine catch for Mercado. Two out.
Another strike and then a couple of balls bring the count to 2-2
Isaac Paredes comes to the plate and skies one back for a strike.
First pitch is popped straight up for the catcher Diaz. One down. Tellez is now 0 for 4 today.
Bottom 8th
Garcia comes out in the eighth to face Rowdy Tellez
The count goes full and the delivery is a high fastball that gets Mercado swinging. So Colombia goes down 1,2,3 and we head to the bottom of the eighth all tied up.
Oscar Mercado comes to the plate and works the count to 2-2. There are calls that neither team like, a ball that Mexico wanted to be a strike and a strike that Colombia thought was a ball. The umpire is coming under some scrutiny here.
Frias fouls a few more off and then chases an elevated fastball to strike out for out number two.
Mexico is in a full-fledged shift, which is banned in MLB but allowed here in the WBC.
Frias comes to the plate and hacks away, fouling the ball off. He then shows some patience working the count to 2-2
He works the count full and then flies one out to the warning track in deep center field, but it is tracked down by Thomas for the first out.
Top 8th
Jake Sanchez comes on to pitch for Mexico and will face Meibrys Sanchez who is pinch hitting for Marriaga.
Joey Maneses comes to the plate with runners at the corners and two outs. He pops the first pitch straight up and Rodriguez makes the catch to end the inning.
This is building to be a classic game. These are two heavyweights going toe to toe.
Verdugo chops one through the middle that is just out of reach of Frias' glove! Thomas scores and we are tied again!
Alex Verdugo comes to the plate and is patient. He gets three balls before Garcia catches the corner for strike one.
He reaches and chops a high pop fly to shallow right. Two down as Thomas advances to third. Mexico have runners on the corners.
He is aggressive and chases another nasty slider for the second strike.
Arozarena digs in and chops one foul.
Pedro Garcia will get the tap on the shoulder to take the reins for Colombia.
That is going to be it from Sanmartin as Colombia make a pitching change.
Barnes comes to the plate and flares one into center field. It drops in front of Mercado and now Mexico have runners at first and second for Randy Arozarena.
Thomas has some speed so could go here
Thomas comes to the plate and slaps one rught back up the middle, this one getting through for a single. A runner on with one out.
He smacks one up the middle, but Frias can get to it and makes a long throw to get the out at first.
Bottom 7th
Reiver Sanmartin takes the mound for Colombia as Mexico try to re-tie the game up. Trejo is at the plate.
Diaz comes to the plate and chops one to third. The throw to second and to first to get the double play. Great defense to get out of the inning by Mexico. But Colombia strike again and take the lead 4-3
That actually hit Cessa's foot on the way through and got him pretty good. Might want to keep an eye on that as the game progresses.
Reynaldo Rodriguez steps to the plate and smacks one up the middle to score Alfaro! Colombia take the lead again.
He chases a terrible pitch in the dirt. Tries to check it but can't hold up, for strike three. One away.
Diaz grew up in Venezuela, with his mother from that country, but his father is from Colombia and he has chosen to represent his father's country at the international baseball level.
Diaz steps to the plate now with a runner in scoring position and nobody out.
Alfaro leads off with another double. Repeat of the fifth inning, he smacks it into the left field corner.
Top 7th
Luis Cessa comes out to face Jorge Alfaro to lead off the inning.
There was no damage at the end of the day, but that inning was chock full of errors, mental ones for the most part, by the Colombians. In the end, they get out of trouble and we head to the seventh still tied.
Vivas delivers a change up that is chopped to short. Six four three double play to get out of the inning! My word, Colombia made that much harder than it had to be!
Runners on the corners for Luis Urías and one out.
Paredes is at the plate and grounds one to short. A routine play, but the throw is in the dirt and Rodriguez can't dig it out. Colombia are falling apart!
That is going to be it for Almeida and Julio Vivas comes on to try and dig Colombia out of a hole.
Maneses is on second as Tellez grounds out to second, advancing the runner to third. Now Mexico have a runner on third with one out. That is entirely on Diaz. Yes the pitch was wide. But he got a glove on it. Just imagine if he was actually mobile.
Almeida throws the next pitch wide and it gets away from Diaz! I will never for the life of me understand why catchers insist on playing on one knee. I played catcher all my life and you should be on two feet, especially with a runner on base! Unforgivable!
Almeida finds the edge with the next pitch and Tellez fouls the next one off to even things up at 2-2
Rowdy Tellez comes to the plate with a runner on first and nobody out. Almeida goes to work on him and misses the first two pitches. 0-2
Bottom 6th
Meneses leads Mexico off with a shot up the middle for a single.
Urshela grounds out to second to end the inning.
Ramirez comes to the plate and grounds one to short for the second out.
Mercado goes down swinging for out number one.
Top 6th
Luis Cessa comes on to take over the mound for Mexico and he faces Oscar Mercado to get things going in the sixth.
Verdugo chops one to second to end the inning. Mexico have roared back into the game. We are all tied up at the end of five here Colombia 3, Mexico 3
That is going to be it from Romero. Colombia make a pitching change for Adrian Almeda.
Arozarena was born in Cuba. Defected to Mexico, got his citizenship there, made it to MLB and is now well and truly accepted as a proper Mexican, certainly by these fans in Chase Field.
What a shot! That had no arc, no dip, that was a BLAST!
Randy Arozarena comes to the plate and rips a line drive straight over the left field wall! We are all tied up AGAIN!
Barnes grounds out to short for the second out. Thomas advances to second.
Austin Barnes takes one before fouling one off. 1-1 delivery
He hits into a fielders choice at first and Trejo is out at second. Thomas on first with one out for Barnes.
Alex Thomas comes to the plate with a runner on first and nobody out.
Trejo is patient and works the count full before drawing the walk.
Bottom 5th
Jhon Romero replaces Crismatt on the mound for Colombia, who are clear that they are intending to empty their bullpen today. With a day off tomorrow, they can afford to go all-in, and they want to make a statement here.
Trejo comes to the plate to get things started.
Back to back fly balls to right field end the inning, but boy what a response. Urías has looked perfect all night and was doing what he wanted with the Colombians and then, BOOM! they hit him for three runs. We go to the bottom of the fifth, Colombia 3, Mexico 1.
Rodriguez hasn't played organized baseball at the top level in six years, but the Colombian coach and team insisted that he be included, and boy were they right.
Jordan Diaz grounds out for out number one.
The 36 year old Colombian Rodriguez has hit the blast of his career. Colombia lead 3-1
Rodriguez smashes a blast off the left field foul pole. It is fair! Home run!
Diaz smashes one into the left field corner for a double and Colombia has answered right back! Two doubles back to back! We are all tied up at 1-1.
Diaz takes the next pitch and it is 2-1
They let him take a few pitches to see how feels. He nods and we are back in business.
He is being looked at my trainers. He seems to be ok, but is just shaken up.
Diaz comes to the plate and fouls one back. The next pitch is in the dirt and Austin Barnes blocks it, taking the ball to the throat in the process.
Top 5th
Colombia need to respond quickly to this and Jorge Alfaro comes to the plate and drills one to left center. It's off the wall for a double and the Mexican crowd erupt in boos!
Paredes takes off and the throw not in time! He steals second. Now a runner in scoring position. Urías pops the next pitch into shallow left for the third out. Mexico draw first blood as we head to the fifth, Colombia 0, Mexico 1
Luis Urías at the plate with a runner at first and two outs. The crowd has come to life! They are really making their presence heard.
Isaac Paredes smashes one through the hole at short! Maneses rounds third and the throw to the plate is just off line. Diaz has no hope of making the tag at the plate. Mexico score first! 1-0
Tellez plops a swinging bunt off the end of the bat. Crismatt fields it and makes the throw to first. Two down as Maneses moves to second.
Crismatt is keeping the pitches low, trying to force a ground ball for a double play. One nearly gets away from Diaz, but he makes a great block behind the plate.
Rowdy Tellez comes up with a runner on first and one out.
Maneses comes up and bloops one into center for the second hit of the game for Mexico.
Bottom 4th
Alex Verdugo leads us off and Crismatt is on 38 pitches, so has cleaned up his efficiency as the game has progressed. Although not perfect, Crismatt has only allowed one base runner.
Verdugo smashes one to the hole at second, but Diaz makes a magnificent diving stab to get the out at first!
He chases the next pitch in the dirt and Mexico gets out of the inning yet again. Four perfect innings for Julio Urías, still 0-0.
Urshela is more patient and works the count 2-2 before smashing a foul over the right field pole. Nearly there.
Ramirez comes to the plate and chases three pitches for out two. He was dismantled by Julio Urías.
Mercado grounds one to short stop for the routine play at first. One away.
Urías' control has been outstanding. He has worked all four corners of the zone, placing pitches exactly where he wants to.
Top 4th
The top of the Colombian order leads us off and Oscar Mercado faces Urías, who has been locked in.
Three full innings played and we are still without score. That was the best efficiency for Crismatt so far.
Crismatt works the count full and delivers a peach of a change up to get Randy swinging for the third out.
Arozarena is back up after smashing the first pitch of the game to deep center to start us off. Nothing doing this time. He is not going to get a big fat fastball.
Austin Barnes comes to the plate and grounds one to short for the second out. This is the best inning for Crismatt yet.
Bottom 3rd
Crismatt delivers to Alex Thomas who grounds out to second.
Urías has been pitch-perfect so far. His economy is outstanding and he has not allowed a baserunner of any kind yet.
Frias comes to the plate and works the count to 2-2 before swinging at a beauty of a change up for strike three.
The check swing on the next pitch was held, drawing boos from the overwhelmingly Mexican fans. But Urías comes back with high heat to get Marriaga swinging for out number two.
Jesus Marriaga comes to the plate and is a little more patient. He takes a ball and a strike before fouling one back.
He punches the third pitch to second base for the routine out at first. One away.
Top 3rd
Jordan Diaz comes to the plate for Colombia and is aggressive, swinging away to foul two pitches off. Down in a hole now 0-2
Trejo comes to the plate and goes down 1-2-3. After two complete, we still have no score.
Luis Urías comes to the plate and hits a ball deep behind third, carrying Urshela out of bounds. He leaps and makes an insane throw to first for the out! What a throw! It wasn't even close! He got the out by a mile on a great play.
Crismatt has not been anywhere near as efficient with his pitch count as Urías, already on 20 pitches as he gets Paredes to swing at strike three.
Bottom 2nd
Isaac Paredes comes up and gets a ball and a strike from Crismatt before smashing a foul ball a very long way.
Rodriguez lofts the first pitch to deep left field, but Randy Arozarena is camped out under it for the putout. In the end, even with the balls called, Urías' inning was pretty efficient, going out for ten pitches in that inning as well. Two innings for 20 pitches. We are still 0-0 as we head into the bottom of the second.
Urías is throwing well, but now getting more balls called on him. He makes sure of it with a fastball that Diaz can't catch up with. Two batters down on 19 pitches.
Diaz fouls the next pitch back and is now down in the count.
Diaz comes to the plate and gets a ball and fouls one back. 1-1
A big change up in the dirt gets Alfaro swinging for the first out.
Top 2
Jorge Alfaro comes up for Colombia and takes a ball and a strike before fouling one back to get upside down in the count. 1-2
The payoff delivery is popped up straight back for the catcher, and Diaz puts it away. Somehow, Colombia came out of that unscathed.
Tellez hooks a shot over first base, but foul! The count goes full.
After Crismatt works the count back to full, the payoff delivery is grounded to third. Arozarena is held and the throw to first gets him. So now Rowdy Tellez comes up with a man at third and now two outs.
Maneses hit a shot down the left field line, but it hooks foul! Just a few inches away from a double.
Meneses comes up and Mexico has a run 90 feet away with only one out.
Verdugo comes up next and Mexico are in a great spot. He bounces one to second for the first out, but it moves Arozarena to third.
Bottom 1st
Arozarena leads off with a first pitch shot to the center field wall for a double!
On ten pitches, Urías gets out of the inning. With a maximum pitch count in force, that was a good outing from the Dodgers lefty.
Urías' third pitch is high for another ball, before Urshela lines a shot directly to third for the final out of the inning.
Gio Urshela comes to the plate and takes a ball before swinging through a 94 mph fastball for a strike.
Ramirez grounds the next ball to second for the easy putout. Two away.
The 0-2 delivery is fouled back and while this may feel like a nothing, in the WBC very strict pitch counts are used, so every foul every ball counts in a serious way.
Harold Ramirez takes a strike before fouling one back to get in a hole quickly.
Mercado skies the second pitch to short stop for the putout to get the game underway.
Top 1st
Julio Urías takes the mound for Mexico and he will face a solid Colombian lineup, starting with Mercado, Ramirez, and Urshela.
Colombia vs Mexico gets underway!
Chase Field is the perfect setting for this meeting of two great baseball teams in Pool C. While the USA is widely tipped to take the group, the level below that is a toss-up between Mexico, Canada, and Colombia. With the best will in the world, it will be the best that Great Britain can hope for to keep some of their games close. Most are picking Mexico to take that second qualifying spot from the pool. But Colombia are no slouch and definitely have a puncher's chance to make some noise. they will certainly pick themselves to get through the group stage.
The Mexicans are as solid a lineup as you can get.
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Strong look for the Bolivarians!
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Colombia is massively improved
While very few are picking Colombia to make it to the final, the truth is that they are a massively improved team over recent years. They can certainly hold their own with any team in the Caribbean and always have a punchers chance of making a deep run into the knockout stages. If they continue on this course, they could be a giant in the making.
Mexico has great team
Mexico has the best team that they have had in years! There is a feeling that this team could be a surprise for any of the top three that have been mentioned as favorites: USA, Japan, and Dominican Republic. The Mexicans certainly have reason to feel like they have a legitimate shot at the title.
Fans in Phoenix
Colombian and Mexican fans are getting into their seats, ready for the action!
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Here is what Mexico's starting lineup will look like for today's game.
Our own Joe McMahon takes a look at the roster for Colombia!
The starting pitchers of both teams will relive the Freeway Series as Mexico will start the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Julio Urías, while across the diamond, Colombia will field San Diego Padres ace Nabil Crismatt.
We are going to bring you all the action, news, and commentary of this meeting of two powerhouse teams in international baseball: Colombia and Mexico
Good evening and welcome to the Diario AS USA's live coverage of the first match of Pool C baseball in the 2023 World Baseball Classic!