Team captain Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Logan Webb tossed four strong frames Friday night for the United States, which beat Brazil 15-5 in both teams’ World Baseball Classic Pool B opener in Houston.
Bobby Witt Jr. led off with a single and stole second as Bryce Harper struck out before Judge, making his WBC debut, hit a 405-foot blast off Bo Takahashi to set the tone for Team USA.
Kyle Schwarber scored on a wild pitch in the third and Byron Buxton was plunked with the bases loaded in the fifth before Brice Turang laced a three-run double for the U.S., which is seeking the country’s second WBC title and first since 2017.
Roman Anthony had an RBI single in the eighth before Team USA piled on during a seven-run ninth. Anthony and Harper had run-scoring singles, Alex Bregman, Cal Raleigh and Pete Crow-Armstrong drew bases-loaded walks, Raleigh scored on a balk and Turang collected an RBI groundout.
Team USA drew 17 walks against nine Brazil pitchers.
Turang finished 3-for-6 out of the ninth spot in the order.
Lucas Ramirez, the son of former big league slugger Manny Ramirez, hit two homers – including a leadoff blast in the bottom of the first against Webb – for Brazil, which is appearing in the WBC for the second time after going 0-3 in Pool play in 2013.
Lucas Rojo had an RBI single in the seventh before former Houston Astros farmhand Victor Mascai hit a two-run homer.
Webb, the San Francisco Giants ace, retired the final 12 batters he faced, six by strikeout. Michael Wacha gave up three runs over three innings and Gabe Speier surrendered Ramirez’s second homer before Mason Miller threw a hitless ninth with three strikeouts.
Takahashi, a former minor leaguer with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds who has spent the last five seasons pitching in Asia, allowed three hits but stranded two in the first.
Joseph Contreras, the 17-year-old son of former big league pitcher Jose Contreras, gave up one run over 1 1/3 innings and wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam in impressive fashion in the second, when he got Judge to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Both nations are in action again Saturday, when the United States faces Great Britain and Brazil opposes Italy.
