Team USA held on vs. Canada on Friday and is now moving on in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The Americans jumped out to a 5-0 lead and then buckled down to secure a 5-3 victory over Canada. They’re advancing to face the Dominican Republic in the semifinals on Sunday in the most-anticipated game of the tournament.

Before we get to that game, however, let’s take a look back at how Team USA bounced back from a shocking loss to Italy and got the job done against Canada. Here’s what to know about Friday’s Team USA win. 

Webb was dominant for USA

Starting pitcher Logan Webb allowed just four hits and one walk in 4 â…” innings, striking out five. Canada hit a few balls hard, sure, and Webb was by no means perfect, but the Giants ace threw the ball very well and was in total control pretty much the entire time he was on the mound.

Probably the biggest area where Team USA upgraded this time around compared to the 2023 runner-up team was the rotation. Webb did his part here. 

USA offense got by with timely hits

Team USA has a loaded offense, at least on paper. There have been bouts of offensive drought through the WBC to this point, though. That’s baseball. It happens. We all know that. In this one, USA only managed one extra-base hit, and that was a first-inning double by Aaron Judge. Overall, Team USA had eight hits and still scored five runs. That would be thanks to some timely hitting, as USA went 4 for 8 with runners in scoring position. 

In particular, Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong came through with back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth inning to push the USA lead to 5-0. 

That would matter because … 

Canada made things very interesting

Canada rallied in the bottom of the sixth, first scoring a run on a Tyler Black RBI single. Then things got closer when Bo Naylor crushed an upper-tank home run. 

All of a sudden, that 5-0 USA lead was cut to 5-3. 

Bednar worked out of a massive jam

In the bottom of the seventh, Canada mounted another serious threat. Two infield singles and a passed ball — a bad mistake by Cal Raleigh — put runners at second and third with no outs. Yeam USA was clinging to a two-run lead with the tying run on second base, nobody out and the middle of the Canada order coming to the plate. 

USA reliever and Yankees closer David Bednar was nails. He induced a pop-up to third from Naylor before striking out Tyler O’Neill and Owen Caissie. 

Also, credit Garrett Whitlock for his scoreless eighth and then Mason Miller for his utterly nasty ninth, in which he struck out all three batters he faced to close things down. 

It sets up Sunday’s battle

The Dominican Republic mercy ruled Korea on Friday, 10-0. That Dominican offense is arguably the best in the WBC with players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Junior Caminero. The Dominicans are 5-0 so far in the WBC and have mostly been blowing people away with offense. 

Set to pitch for Team USA? It’s young ace and NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. He was in totally dominant in his start vs. Mexico in pool play, working four scoreless innings and striking out seven. His career MLB ERA is 1.96. Buckle up.Â