Great Britain grabs early lead over USA at WBC before on Trayce Thompson’s homer before falling 6-2

Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer, Nolan Arenado had three hits and two RBIs, and the United States overcame a slow start to beat Great Britain 6-2 on Saturday in the first game of the World Baseball Classic for both teams.

Trayce Thompson put Great Britain up 1-0 in the first innings on Adam Wainwright’s home run that barely cleared the left-centre wall. Thompson, who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is one of the few players on Great Britain’s roster with major league experience. Thompson is eligible to play for Great Britain because his father, Mychal, is from the Bahamas.

His drive briefly ruined the mood of the crowd of 39,650 at Chase Field, but the Americans weren’t far behind for long.

The US took a 2-1 lead in the third and then opened the game in the fourth with a Schwarber shot that landed in the stands near the pool behind the right center fence at Chase Field.

Wainwright allowed one run and five hits in four innings for the win. Kyle Freeland allowed one run in three innings of relief and David Bednar struck out the winger in the ninth.

Fans react during the WBC Pool C game between Team USA and Team Great Britain

Former major league pitcher Vance Worley allowed two unearned runs in 2 2/3 innings for Great Britain. Thompson, who tied his career high with 13 home runs last season for the Dodgers, finished with two hits.

But Saturday offered some encouragement for Britain.

In addition to Thompson’s home run in the first inning, Nassau-born second baseman Anfernee Seymour also had an RBI, while another Bahamian native, D’Shawn Knowles, hit a triple for Great Britain.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout struck out twice on the day.

This edition of the WBC has seen a surge in interest from top MLB stars.

Trout knew he wanted to join this group ever since he watched the USA win the WBC title in 2017, beating Puerto Rico 8-0 in the championship. The follow-up tournament was delayed two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I felt like I wanted to be there and experience how much fun they were having,” Trout said. “I told myself, even before they asked me, if I had the chance, I was going to try to do it.”

‘It’s special for me and my family to wear the United States on my chest. It’s going to be fun.’

D’Shawn Knowles #8 of Team Great Britain slides to home plate to score a run during the seventh inning of a World Baseball Classic Pool C game

Great Britain’s D’Shawn Knowles, left, celebrates with Trayce Thompson, right, after scoring against the United States on Anfernee Seymour’s groundout during the seventh inning.

American pitcher David Bednar, right, celebrates with catcher JT Realmuto after the team’s 6-2 win over Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic game in Phoenix.

It’s also an opportunity for the Angels’ star to play high-stakes baseball, something that has eluded him for much of his career despite personal success.

They are part of Group C, which also includes Canada, Mexico and Colombia. The top two teams after a four-game round-robin competition will advance to the quarterfinals in Miami.

“He will go down in history as one of the greatest players of all time,” US coach Mark DeRosa said. “I’m in awe to see the ball come off the bat.”

There are only two players on the roster from that 2017 WBC-winning team: Goldschmidt and Arenado. The rest represent a younger version of American baseball excellence.

DeRosa said it’s a juggling act to make sure the entire star-studded roster has enough work. The 30 players are still preparing for the upcoming MLB season, but DeRosa said he hopes he can create an atmosphere where they are ready to accept being a part of the tournament.

“I want them to get lost in this,” the manager said.

“Offensively, we have the weapons where you don’t have to be the hero,” DeRosa said. I see these guys check the area every night. I observed that these launchers did not give way every night.

Trout denies that it’s one of the main reasons others wanted to play on this USA team, which is typical of his low-key personality. Initially he wanted to top the list with friend and fellow superstar Bryce Harper, but the Phillies slugger had to miss the tournament because he is recovering from elbow surgery.

Team USA outfielder Mike Trout #27 high-fives Trea Turner #8 and Jeff McNeil #1 after defeating Team Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic Pool C game at Chase Field on 11 March 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. Team USA defeated Team Great Britain 6-2

It wasn’t hard to fill his place.

“There’s not a single guy in this jersey that hasn’t called us wanting to be a part of this,” DeRosa said. ‘There were no parameters. Or I’ll come if I get A, B and C. They just want to win.’

Even on a star-studded roster, Trout stands out. He’s already had a brilliant baseball career in many ways. If he were to retire today, he would almost certainly be a first-ballot Hall of Fame pick.

He has a .303 career batting average and 350 home runs if you like the standard stats. He’s a three-time MVP, Rookie of the Year, and a 10-time All-Star if you like awards. He’s already racked up 82.4 WAR (wins above replacement) according to baseball-reference.com if analytics is your thing, which is a number comparable to legends like Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose, Pedro Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Brooks Robinson.

But, somehow, he only has one career postseason hit. He hit a solo home run during the 2014 American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals. The Angels lost the series and haven’t made the postseason since.

Now Trout is back playing big games, even if it’s on the international stage instead of the MLB playoffs.

“I talked to a lot of guys who did it six years ago,” Trout said. ‘Lots of advice from great experience. As soon as the first pitch rings, we’ll be gone.

De Rosa agreed. He said that one of the first pieces of advice he received when he was signed as the team’s manager was to make sure the players understood that it was a competition, not an exhibition.

“It’s a sprint,” DeRosa said. ‘There are seven games in 11 days. If it’s 162, the talent usually wins. But that is not the whole case here. It is talent, it is execution, it is the desire to want to be together, it is the will to be selfless. The best team, in the postseason, is not the team that gets the trophy every year.’