Tampa Bay Rays All-Star first baseman Jonathan Aranda provided the breakthrough for Team Mexico on Friday, leading the way in an 8-2 win over Great Britain in the opening Pool B game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park in Houston.
Mexico opened the scoring in the second inning when Nacho Alvarez Jr. launched a solo home run to left-center field off Great Britain starter Jack Anderson. Anderson worked three innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out three.
Mexico starter Javier Assad matched him early, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings. Assad allowed two hits, walked one batter, and struck out two while throwing 51 pitches, 29 of them for strikes, before Mexico turned to its bullpen due to World Baseball Classic pitch count rules.
Great Britain tied the game in the sixth inning when Harry Ford hit a solo home run to left field. Ford finished 2-for-3 with a walk and was one of several productive hitters for Britain, which out-hit Mexico 8-6 but left nine runners on base and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
The turning point came in the eighth inning. After Gary Gill Hill struck out the first two Mexico batters, he walked Jarren Duran and Randy Arozarena. Britain manager Brad Marcelino replaced him with Tristan Beck, but Aranda capitalized immediately. After Beck fell behind 2-0, Aranda crushed a 96-mph fastball into the left-field Crawford Boxes for a three-run homer, breaking the 1-1 tie and giving Mexico a 4-1 lead. Aranda finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
Mexico added insurance in the ninth inning. Alek Thomas lined a two-run single to center field that scored Jared Serna and Nick Gonzales. Joey Ortiz followed with an RBI double and Arozarena added a run-scoring single to extend the lead to 8-1.
Great Britain crossed the plate for its final run in the bottom of the ninth when Trayce Thompson doubled to left field to drive in Ian Lewis Jr. Thompson finished with two hits and an RBI, while Lewis also recorded two hits.
Mexico used eight pitchers in the win, with Robert Garcia earning the victory after a scoreless seventh inning. Andres Munoz closed the game by recording the final three outs.
The win moved Mexico to 1-0 in Pool B play, while Great Britain fell to 0-1. Mexico will face Brazil on Sunday, while Great Britain will take on the United States on Saturday.
