Aaron Judge, Roman Anthony Homers Power Team USA to 5-3 Thriller Over Mexico in WBC at Daikin Park

Team USA stayed perfect on Monday, March 9, using a thunderous third inning and a dominant, scoreless World Baseball Classic debut from Paul Skenes to beat Mexico 5–3 at Houston’s Daikin Park. Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony supplied the game-changing homers, and the U.S. bullpen did just enough to withstand a late surge in front of a sellout crowd of 41,628 that was decidedly pro-Mexico.

A third inning that flipped the stadium

The game’s defining stretch came in the third. Bryce Harper reached to spark the rally, and Judge followed by hammering a two-run homer to right for a 2–0 lead—his second long ball of the tournament.

The inning kept rolling. Kyle Schwarber singled, Cal Raleigh was hit by a pitch, and rising star Roman Anthony crushed a three-run shot to right-center to make it 5–0, becoming the youngest player to homer for Team USA in WBC history.

Skenes brings the heat—and Judge flashes the glove

Skenes looked every bit the ace, allowing one hit and striking out seven over four innings. Even that lone hit didn’t hurt: Judge gunned down the runner with a rocket from right field to third, a defensive jolt that helped keep Mexico from building early momentum.

Mexico’s response: Jarren Duran goes deep—twice

Mexico refused to go quietly, and Jarren Duran led the charge. His first solo homer in the sixth cut the deficit to 5–1, and later in the inning Joey Meneses drove in a run with a single to make it 5–2.

Duran struck again in the eighth, tagging Matthew Boyd for his second solo homer to slice it to 5–3. Boyd plunked Randy Arozarena next, putting the tying run on base and turning the inning into a true pressure cooker.

Griffin Jax took over and delivered the biggest pitch sequence of the late innings, inducing a double-play grounder from Alejandro Kirk to end the threat.

What it means

The win moved the U.S. to 3–0 and marked Team USA’s first WBC victory over Mexico since 2006, after a loss in 2023. The U.S. now controls its destiny in Pool B, with Italy (2–0) up next on Tuesday, March 10; a win would all but clinch a quarterfinal berth for the Americans in Houston. Mexico (2–1) closes Group B play against Italy on Wednesday.

The night’s lasting image

In a tournament built on moments, Monday delivered plenty—Judge’s two-run blast, Anthony’s three-run answer, Skenes’ overpowering debut, and Duran’s two-homer pushback. But the clearest takeaway? Team USA conquered a raucous, pro-Mexico crowd in a playoff-intensity March game—and proved they’re built for a deep run in this WBC.