Team USA manager Mark DeRosa admits the confusing tiebreaking rules for the World Baseball Classic threw him for a loop Tuesday.
In an interview with MLB Network before his team's final pool game against Italy, DeRosa wrongfully said his team had secured advancement to the quarterfinals.
"We want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals," DeRosa said.
It turns out that was incorrect.
A stunning 8-6 loss to Italy later Tuesday took the Americans' fate out of their hands, as DeRosa acknowledged after his team's game in Houston.
The U.S. finished Pool B play at 3-1, while Italy is 3-0 and Mexico is 2-1. The latter two teams square off Wednesday, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
If Italy wins, the U.S. advances.
But if Mexico wins, there is a three-way tie for first. The tiebreaker is ranked based on runs allowed divided by defensive outs recorded in head-to-head games.
"I misspoke ... Completely misread the calculations," DeRosa told reporters after the loss.
While extra innings could throw things off, if Mexico scores six or more runs in a nine-inning game against Italy, the U.S. would advance.
