Mexico have overtaken the United States and seek a place in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic

Joey Menesesthe Culiacán-born baseball player who reached the major leagues in January 2022, led the Mexican team to a resounding victory over the United States in their second game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The final slate of hunting field scored a 11-5 in favor of Mexico and it was a dream night for the national team in Phoenix, Arizona. With this result, those led by Benjamín Román Gil entered the fray and complicated the scenario for the rest of the teams in the Group Cwhich also includes Canada, Colombia and Great Britain.

Meneses hit three of five in the game, including two circuits who put Mexico ahead and made their advantage unreachable. The first happened on his first trick in the opening round. With a shot that went into left field, Team Aztec took a 2-0 lead.

The second home run came in the fourth inning, with Mexico already leading 4-1. Meneses’ shot added a total of three points and put the cards 7-1with which the triumph was anticipated over the box of stars and stripes.

Thanks to the two shots against the USA, Meneses joined the list of drummers in the World Classic and hit a .500 batting average. They accompanied the Culiacanense Randy Arozarena there rowdy suddenly as protagonists of the irresistible Mexican offensive.

“Long live Mexico, my people! Let’s go up”, was Joey Meneses’ brief message to the media at the end of the meeting. For his part, Román Gil acknowledged that watching the player play “is exciting”. It should be remembered that previously the manager managed Meneses on several occasions in the Tomateros de Culiacán in the Pacific League, as well as in the Caribbean series and in the Olympics. “He’s an extraordinary person. He’s a Major League talent,” he added to the press.

Meneses, 30, moved up to the major leagues in 2022 and made his debut on February 8 of the same year, after a long wait of more than a decade in the minors.

With this victory, the tricolor returned to the course and recovered from the blow received in their first match against Colombia, in which the Central American team won narrowly 5-4.

Mexico will play again at Chase Field on Tuesday night March 14. ante Britain (last team in Group C), will seek to ensure their passage to the quarter-finals. Subsequently, Meneses, Arozarena and company will face off with Canada on Wednesday, March 15 in the same field, house of the Diamondbacks.

At the end of the day, Mexico and the United States were the only teams in the group to have played two matches. Canada there Colombia they positioned themselves as leaders after winning their only game (against Great Britain and Mexico, respectively) and established a percentage of 1,000.

It should be remembered that, in accordance with World Baseball Classic guidelines, they will advance to the next round the two teams with the best percentages matches won in each group.

In the event of a tie between the percentages of the teams and it is not possible to define the first two places, the team which won the matches between the tied teams will have the higher position.

If three or more teams are tied and one of those teams has won its matches with the others involved, it will be ranked higher. On the other hand, if one of the teams loses against all the other teams, it will be relegated to the last place.