HOUSTON (AP) \u2014 The United States is heading to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic after a \u201cdifferent level of focus\u201d helped this All-Star-studded team rebound from a shocking loss.<\/p>\n
The U.S. beat Canada 5-3 on Friday night<\/a> for a spot in the semifinals Sunday against the Dominican Republic. The big win came after an 8-6 loss to Italy in pool play<\/a> left them needing help to advance to Friday’s game.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cGuys really locked in,\u201d Yankees star Aaron Judge said. \u201cWe saw a different level of focus at our workout the other day and then even pregame today. It felt like the boys were locked and ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n The loss to Italy elicited criticism of the team and particularly manager Mark DeRosa after he prematurely said on a television interview the morning of the loss to Italy that: \u201cOur ticket\u2019s punched to the quarterfinals.\u201d<\/p>\n Judge said he knows a lot of people had negative things to say about them after the Italy game, but they didn\u2019t pay it any mind.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of noise that\u2019s been going on with that,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I think it just speaks volumes to the players in this room, the manager we\u2019ve got, everybody, that no matter what\u2019s being said about us, what\u2019s going on, we still got a job to do on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n First baseman Bryce Harper echoed Judge\u2019s sentiments that they didn\u2019t worry about what outsiders were saying about the team.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are going to have their opinion about us,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of them are going to be sitting at our dinner table or our Thanksgiving dinner, so it doesn\u2019t really matter what anybody says, that\u2019s always been my call on that kind of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The Americans did eventually punch their ticket to the quarterfinals when Italy beat Mexico<\/a> to win Pool B and give the U.S. second place.<\/p>\n Starter Logan Webb, who threw 4 2\/3 scoreless innings Friday night, said the team’s path to the semifinals was not ideal but he was proud that the guys got the job done.<\/p>\n \u201cIt kind of feels like a second chance and… I felt like it was a newfound energy today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Third baseman Alex Bregman appreciated the professionalism in the clubhouse as the team dealt with the adversity from the loss to Italy.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the biggest things that you see around all these great players is everyone\u2019s present and they\u2019re not worried about the future or the past,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re worried about that game, that moment, that pitch, the next pitch. And it was just a good, good response today.”<\/p>\n