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Thanks to Italy, Team USA has avoided an embarrassing first-round elimination in the World Baseball Classic. Italy's win over Mexico Wednesday night at Daikin Park in Houston (ITA 9, MEX 1) punched the team's ticket and also USA's ticket to the quarterfinals. Mexico, which finished third behind Japan and USA in the 2023 WBC, has been eliminated. Team USA will face Canada in the quarterfinals on Friday night as the single-elimination knockout round begins.

Here are the final Pool B standings. The top two teams in each of the four pools advance to the quarterfinals, which begin Friday.

1. Italy: 4-0
2. USA: 3-1
3. Mexico: 2-2
4. Great Britain: 1-3
5. Brazil: 0-4

Italy captain Vinnie Pasquantino was the star Wednesday. After going 0 for 12 in Italy's first three games, the Royals first baseman slugged three home runs against Mexico, and became the first player with a three-homer game in WBC history. Veteran Phillies righty Aaron Nola tossed five shutout innings despite the first round's 65-pitch limit, allowing Italy to take control of the game.

Mexico had opportunities to get back into Wednesday's game in the late innings, but never found the big hit to make it interesting. Mexico did not score after putting two runners on base in the sixth, and mustered just one run (on an RBI groundout) after loading the bases in the seventh and eighth innings. Mexico scored only four runs in its final two WBC games.

Italy stunned USA on Tuesday and turned the Americans into interested observers Wednesday night. To advance, USA needed Italy to beat Mexico, or Mexico to beat Italy while scoring at least five runs. Mexico beating Italy while scoring four or fewer runs would have eliminated USA, something that would have qualified as a colossal failure given the talent on USA's roster.

Despite having to rely on Italy to advance out of pool play, the U.S. is a very dangerous team moving forward. Logan Webb and Paul Skenes, arguably the two best right-handed pitchers in baseball, are lined up to start the next two games for the Americans. The limit rises to 80 pitches in the quarterfinals, so Webb and Skenes will be able to give USA some real length.

Also, these last two days figure to have been -- and should have been -- a wake-up call for USA. Tuesday's shocking loss to Italy was a punch in the face and showed USA they can't just show up to the park and expect to cruise to a win. It's win or go home from here on out. Another low-energy night like Tuesday's equals elimination.

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