HOUSTON (AP) — The United States is heading to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic after a “different level of focus” helped this All-Star-studded team rebound from a shocking loss.

kAm“vFJD C62==J =@4<65 :?[” *2?<66D DE2C p2C@? yF586 D2:5] “(6 D2H 2 5:776C6?E =6G6= @7 7@4FD 2E @FC H@C<@FE E96 @E96C 52J 2?5 E96? 6G6? AC682>6 E@52J] xE 76=E =:<6 E96 3@JD H6C6 =@4<65 2?5 C625J E@ 8@]”k^Am

kAm%96 =@DD E@ xE2=J 6=:4:E65 4C:E:4:D> @7 E96 E62> 2?5 A2CE:4F=2C=J >2?286C |2C< s6#@D2 27E6C 96 AC6>2EFC6=J D2:5 @? 2 E6=6G:D:@? :?E6CG:6H E96 >@C?:?8 @7 E96 =@DD E@ xE2=J E92Ei “~FC E:4<6E’D AF?4965 E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D]”k^Am

kAmyF586 D2:5 96 @HD 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 925 ?682E:G6 E9:?8D E@ D2J 23@FE E96> 27E6C E96 xE2=J 82>6[ 3FE E96J 5:5?’E A2J :E 2?J >:?5]k^Am

kAm“%96C6’D 2 =@E @7 ?@:D6 E92E’D 366? 8@:?8 @? H:E9 E92E[” 96 D2:5] “p?5 x E9:?< :E ;FDE DA626D E@ E96 A=2J6CD 😕 E9:D C@@>[ E96 >2?286C H6’G6 8@E[ 6G6CJ3@5J[ E92E ?@ >2EE6C H92E’D 36:?8 D2:5 23@FE FD[ H92E’D 8@:?8 @?[ H6 DE:== 8@E 2 ;@3 E@ 5@ @? E96 7:6=5]”k^Am

kAmu:CDE 32D6>2? qCJ46 w2CA6C 649@65 yF586’D D6?E:>6?ED E92E E96J 5:5?’E H@CCJ 23@FE H92E @FED:56CD H6C6 D2J:?8 23@FE E96 E62>]k^Am

kAm“!6@A=6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E96:C @A:?:@? 23@FE FD[” 96 D2:5] “x 5@?’E E9:?< 2?J @7 E96> 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 D:EE:?8 2E @FC 5:??6C E23=6 @C @FC %92?2EE6C H92E 2?J3@5J D2JD[ E92E’D 2=H2JD 366? >J 42== @? E92E <:?5 @7 DEF77]”k^Am

kAm%96 p>6C:42?D 5:5 6G6?EF2==J AF?49 E96:C E:4<6E E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H34\F?:E65\DE2E6D\BF2CE6C7:?2=D\56C@D2\5d__h6_5fe5h5`76`aca6ha3hfb_f76dQmH96? xE2=J 362E |6I:4@k^2m E@ H:? !@@= q 2?5 8:G6 E96 &]$] D64@?5 A=246]k^Am

kAm$E2CE6C {@82? (633[ H9@ E9C6H c a^b D4@C6=6DD :??:?8D uC:52J ?:89E[ D2:5 E96 E62>VD A2E9 E@ E96 D6>:7:?2=D H2D ?@E :562= 3FE 96 H2D AC@F5 E92E E96 8FJD 8@E E96 ;@3 5@?6]k^Am

kAm“xE <:?5 @7 766=D =:<6 2 D64@?5 492?46 2?5]]] x 76=E =:<6 :E H2D 2 ?6H7@F?5 6?6C8J E@52J[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm%9:C5 32D6>2? p=6I qC68>2? 2AAC64:2E65 E96 AC@76DD:@?2=:D> 😕 E96 4=F39@FD6 2D E96 E62> 562=E H:E9 E96 25G6CD:EJ 7C@> E96 =@DD E@ xE2=J]k^Am

kAm“~?6 @7 E96 3:886DE E9:?8D E92E J@F D66 2C@F?5 2== E96D6 8C62E A=2J6CD 😀 6G6CJ@?6’D AC6D6?E 2?5 E96J’C6 ?@E H@CC:65 23@FE E96 7FEFC6 @C E96 A2DE[” 96 D2:5] “%96J’C6 H@CC:65 23@FE E92E 82>6[ E92E >@>6?E[ E92E A:E49[ E96 ?6IE A:E49] p?5 :E H2D ;FDE 2 8@@5[ 8@@5 C6DA@?D6 E@52J]Qk^Am

kAm}@H E96 492==6?86 86ED 6G6? 3:886C 2D E96 &]$] 7246D 2 s@>:?:42? E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^5@>:?:42?\C6AF3=:4\D@FE9\<@C62\D4@C6\4564`6a3c2e2b724dfc45e5h62c5e_fhQm62> E92E 362E $@FE9 z@C62 `_\_ uC:52Jk^2m 😕 D6G6? :??:?8D E@ 25G2?46 E@ E96 D6>:7:?2=D]k^Am

kAm%96 p>6C:42?D H:== D6?5 C6:8?:?8 }{ rJ *@F?8 pH2C5 H:??6C !2F= $<6?6D E@ E96 >@F?5 $F?52J E@ 4@?E6?5 H:E9 2 C@DE6C E92E 😀 2=D@ 49@4< 7F== @7 p==\$E2CD]k^Am

kAm“x 6IA64E :E E@ 36 =:<6 @?6 @7 E96 36DE 82>6D @7 2== E:>6[” s6#@D2 D2:5]k^Am

kAmyF586 😀 E9C:==65 E92E E96 E62> 😀 9625:?8 E@ |:2>: 2?5 42?’E H2:E 7@C H92E’D H2:E:?8 7@C E96 &]$] E96C6]k^Am

kAm“%96 3@JD 2C6 6I4:E65[ E92E’D 7@C DFC6[” 96 D2:5] “s67:?:E6=J 86EE:?8 2 E2DE6 7@C A=2J@77 2E>@DA96C6 😕 |2C49[ 567:?:E6=J 86ED E96 ;F:46D 7=@H:?8 2 =:EE=6 3:E]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Share.

Comments are closed.