PHOENIX — Joey Meneses hit two home runs and drove in five runs to lead Mexico to a crucial 11-5 victory Sunday over the U.S. in Pool C of the World Baseball Classic.
Mexico needed the win after losing to Colombia in the opening game of the World Baseball Classic on Saturday.
Mexico and the U.S. have 1-1 records, while Colombia and Canada are each 1-0.
Sunday’s game drew a capacity crowd at Chase Field of 47,534, many of whom were vociferous for Mexico.
They chanted “MVP! MVP!” after Meneses’ three-run homer in the fourth inning, his second of the game, put Mexico ahead 7-1.
Meneses accounted for six of Mexico’s runs by that time, starting with a two-run bomb off U.S. starter Nick Martinez (0-1) in the top of the first inning.
His infield single with two outs in the third inning sparked a rally that included two more infield singles, by Rowdy Tellez and Isaac Paredes. Meneses, of the Washington Nationals, on Paredes’ hit, giving Mexico a 3-1 lead.
After Randy Arozarena drove in a run with a double with two outs in the fourth, Meneses followed with a homer to left field off Brady Singer.
Meneses, Arozarena and Tellez each went 3 for 5, and Meneses and Arozarena each had three runs. Arozerena, who had two doubles, and Tellez each had two RBIs.
Tim Anderson went 2 for 4 with three RBIs for the U.S.
Mexico tallied 15 hits, 11 of them singles.
Mexico starter Patrick Sandoval (1-0) allowed two hits with two strikeouts and two walks in three innings.
Javier Assad took over when Sandoval’s pitch count reached 55. He allowed one hit in three innings and struck out two without a walk.
Mexico scored four more runs in the eighth, highlighted by Arozarena’s RBI double and run-scoring singles by Tellez and Alan Trejo.
The U.S. put together a three-run rally in the bottom of the eighth behind an RBI double by Bobby Witt Jr. and a two-run double by Anderson.
–By Javier Morales, Field Level Media
