Latest on Mets in World Baseball Classic: Juan Soto homers, Huascar Brazoban strikes out three in DR’s win over Venezuela

Here are the latest updates on current Mets who are playing in the World Baseball Classic…

March 11

Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela

Team DR closed pool play with a win over Venezuela on Wednesday, and two Mets were directly involved in the victory.

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Juan Soto got the scoring started, lifting the first of four DR homers on the night, giving them a two-run advantage just three batters into the game.

Venezuela was able to retire Soto in his next two ABs, but reached on an infield single in the top of the seventh and then drew a two-out walk in the ninth, raising his OPS to 1.233 for the tournament.

He’s also hitting .333 with a double, two homers, and four RBI.

Huascar Brazoban also enjoyed a strong night on the mound, striking out the side around a leadoff walk and stolen base in the bottom of the fourth.

Brazoban has struck out five over three scoreless appearances in the tournament.

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The DR will now play Korea in the quarterfinals on Friday night.

Italy vs. Mexico

Mets prospect Nick Morabito came off the bench as a pinch-hitter late in Italy’s victory over Mexico, and he grounded out in his only at-bat.

It was just Morabito’s second appearance of the tournament.

The Italy victory is good news for Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes, though, as Team USA advanced to the knockout round, where they’ll take on Canada on Friday night.

March 10

Italy vs. USA

Mets rookie Nolan McLean was on the mound starting for Team USA on Tuesday night against Italy. It was the young right-hander’s WBC debut and it started off great.

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McLean needed just 11 pitches to strike out the side in the first inning. That dominance carried over into the second inning when he got the first two Italian batters to ground out. However, young White Sox catcher Kyle Teel ambushed McLean, swinging at a 96.3 mph fastball in the zone and sending it 347 feet over the Crawford Boxes in Houston’s Daikin Park.

The second inning would get worse for McLean after he hit Jac Caglianone with a pitch and went up against Sam Antonacci. The shortstop squared up McLean’s fastball at the top of the plate and sent it 403 feet to give Italy a 3-0 lead.

McLean would have a better third inning. After walking Jakob Marsee to lead off the third, he got Jon Berti to fly out and Vinnie Pasquantino to strikeout looking. After a walk to Dominic Canzone, McLean ended his night getting Zach Dezenzo to ground out.

McLean pitched three innings (55 pitches/34 strikes), allowing the three runs on two hits, two walks and striking out four batters. With Team USA falling 8-6, McLean took the loss.

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Israel vs. Netherlands

Young Mets pitcher Ben Simon finished off Israel’s 6-2 win over the Netherlands on Tuesday afternoon.

Simon walked three but struck out three in his one inning of work.

March 9

Mexico vs. USA

A pair of Mets each delivered scoreless innings of effective relief work in Mexico’s 5-3 defeat to the Americans on Monday night in Houston.

Alex Carrillo, who made his big league debut for the Mets last season and is on the 40-man roster but assigned to minor league camp, allowed a single and a walk while striking out two in the fourth inning on 23 pitches (14 strikes).

After allowing a leadoff double to Bobby Witt Jr., the 28-year-old got Bryce Harper swinging on a down-and-in splitter. And after walking Aaron Judge, the righty got Kyle Schwarber swinging at another down-and-in splitter before inducing Alex Bregman to pop out to short.

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Daniel Duarte, who signed a minor league deal with the Mets this offseason, was charged with getting Mexico through the bottom of the sixth and keeping it a three-run deficit. And the 29-year-old righty walked Witt to start the inning and saw him steal second. Duarte then got Harper swinging through a 97 mph fastball in the zone, and Schwarber to fly out to the big part of the park in center, needing just 15 pitches (eight strikes) to strand the runner.

Venezuela vs. Nicaragua

Mark Vientos went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Nicaragua’s 4-0 loss to Venezuela. In that game, Mets minor league right-hander Carlos Guzman allowed a single and a walk in 0.2 innings for the victors.

Dominican Republic vs. Israel

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Juan Soto went hitless in four times up with a walk and a strikeout in a 10-1 win.

Cuba vs. Puerto Rico

MJ Melendez, serving as the DH, went hitless in two at-bats with two walks, a run scored, and a strikeout in a 4-1 win.

Colombia vs. Panama

Jose Ramos, on a minor league deal, had aRBI single in four at-bats with two strikeouts and a run scored in a 4-3 defeat.

March 7

Great Britain vs. USA

In his 2026 WBC debut for Team USA, Clay Holmes looked unstoppable in his three innings of work. The right-hander struck out six, including former Yankee teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the sixth inning, and allowed just one hit while throwing 38 pitches (28 strikes).

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Holmes entered in the fourth inning with Team USA down 1-0 after starter Tarik Skubal allowed a run on two hits while striking out five in his three innings of work. Team USA broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning by scoring five runs and taking the lead, which put Holmes in position for the win.

Israel vs. Venezuela

Young Mets pitcher Ben Simon took the mound to start for Israel on Saturday. However, the right-hander’s night was short-lived. He allowed four runs on three hits and a walk, and recorded a single out — a strikeout — before he was pulled. The big blast was the two-run shot from Eugenio Suarez that gave Venezuela a 4-0 lead that they wouldn’t give up.

Nicaragua vs. Netherlands

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Mark Vientos had another tough night at the plate. Starting as the team’s DH on Saturday afternoon, Vientos went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. The young Met is still looking for his first WBC hit as the Netherlands walked off Nicaragua, 4-3.