Captain America Aaron Judge's first-inning homer sets the tone as USA dominates Brazil for opening victory

An All-Star-caliber MLB power lineup combined with a deep and reliable starting rotation had placed the U.S. team under immense expectations even before entering the World Baseball Classic. They did win their opener, although the journey wasn't as effortless as some anticipated.

The U.S. eventually beat Brazil 15-5; without the Brazilian pitching staff's loss of command, the margin could have been narrower. Brazil issued 17 walks overall, including five in the ninth inning alone, which greatly undermined their otherwise commendable offensive performance. A game that could have remained tight completely unraveled in the final frame.

Up until that point, it was a gripping contest filled with dramatic moments, living up to the hype of the U.S. assembling one of the most star-studded rosters in Classic history. Just ten minutes into the game, Aaron Judge blasted a two-run homer off Bo Takahashi's fastball, signaling a potential rout ahead.

That was exactly what the 30,825 raucous fans packed into Houston's Minute Maid Park hoped to see—a fireworks display. Early on, they got their wish.

“It felt amazing,” Judge said about the atmosphere. “It started from the first inning. Bobby Witt Jr. stepped into the batter’s box, and the whole crowd was chanting ‘USA.’ My heart was pounding in the on-deck circle.”

“The atmosphere was unreal. Hopefully, we get more moments like that as the tournament goes on. This group is excited, and it’s good to see chemistry building so early. Time to get down to business.”

The U.S. team’s first outburst came in the fifth inning when Brice Turang lined a bases-clearing double off the left-field wall, extending the lead to six runs.

But Brazil kept chipping away at the deficit and even outhomered the U.S., 3-1.

Two of those homers came from leadoff hitter Lucas Ramirez, son of 12-time MLB All-Star Manny Ramirez and one of the youngest participants in this Classic. Ramirez’s first homer came on Logan Webb’s second pitch—the 10th first-pitch, first-inning home run in Classic history and the first since Canada’s Edouard Julien in 2023.

Ramirez’s second blast was a 354-foot shot to right field against Gabe Speier in the eighth inning, briefly cutting the gap to three runs and sparking hopes of a comeback.

The ninth inning erased all doubt. The U.S. scored seven runs on just three hits, with the rest coming from walks and a pitcher’s balk.

By then, manager Mark DeRosa’s focus had shifted from tactics to longer-term planning, especially bullpen management.

“I knew these guys would ignite,” DeRosa said about the offense. “We had 17 walks today, which I believe is a Classic record. We left too many runners stranded—I think we had 12 left on base.”

“For me, the emphasis is on the pitching side. All the parameters and guidelines come into play; you find yourself counting pitches, counting innings, trying to get relievers into games without letting them sit too long.”

The U.S. will face Great Britain at 9 a.m. Beijing Time on Saturday, followed by Mexico at 9 a.m. on Monday. The matchup against Mexico is viewed as the toughest test for the U.S. and will feature reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes as the starter.

“I know everyone is looking forward to the U.S.-Mexico game because they have a really good squad,” Judge said. “But we have to take it one game at a time. When it’s their turn, we’ll be ready to go.”