HOUSTON (AP) — The United States is heading to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic after a “different level of focus” helped this All-Star-studded team rebound from a shocking loss.
The U.S. beat Canada 5-3 on Friday night for a spot in the semifinals Sunday against the Dominican Republic. The big win came after an 8-6 loss to Italy in pool play left them needing help to advance to Friday's game.
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Fans cheer for the United States during the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Canada, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States third baseman Alex Bregman (2) catches a pop fly by Canada first baseman Josh Naylor (12) during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States right fielder Aaron Judge, left, and first baseman Bryce Harper, right, celebrate as they score during the third inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Canada, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States right fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with teammates Brice Turang, left, and Byron Buxton, center, after their win over Canada in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States catcher Cal Raleigh, left, and pitcher Mason Miller, right, celebrate after their win over Canada in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
“Guys really locked in,” Yankees star Aaron Judge said. “We saw a different level of focus at our workout the other day and then even pregame today. It felt like the boys were locked and ready to go.”
The loss to Italy elicited criticism of the team and particularly manager Mark DeRosa after he prematurely said on a television interview the morning of the loss to Italy that: “Our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals.”
Judge said he knows a lot of people had negative things to say about them after the Italy game, but they didn’t pay it any mind.
“There’s a lot of noise that’s been going on with that,” he said. “And I think it just speaks volumes to the players in this room, the manager we’ve got, everybody, that no matter what’s being said about us, what’s going on, we still got a job to do on the field.”
First baseman Bryce Harper echoed Judge’s sentiments that they didn’t worry about what outsiders were saying about the team.
“People are going to have their opinion about us,” he said. “I don’t think any of them are going to be sitting at our dinner table or our Thanksgiving dinner, so it doesn’t really matter what anybody says, that’s always been my call on that kind of stuff.”
The Americans did eventually punch their ticket to the quarterfinals when Italy beat Mexico to win Pool B and give the U.S. second place.
Starter Logan Webb, who threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings Friday night, said the team's path to the semifinals was not ideal but he was proud that the guys got the job done.
“It kind of feels like a second chance and... I felt like it was a newfound energy today,” he said.
Third baseman Alex Bregman appreciated the professionalism in the clubhouse as the team dealt with the adversity from the loss to Italy.
“One of the biggest things that you see around all these great players is everyone’s present and they’re not worried about the future or the past,” he said. “They’re worried about that game, that moment, that pitch, the next pitch. And it was just a good, good response today."
Now the challenge gets even bigger as the U.S. faces a Dominican t eam that beat South Korea 10-0 Friday in seven innings to advance to the semifinals.
The Americans will send reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes to the mound Sunday to contend with a roster that is also chock full of All-Stars.
“I expect it to be like one of the best games of all time,” DeRosa said.
Judge is thrilled that the team is heading to Miami and can’t wait for what’s waiting for the U.S. there.
“The boys are excited, that’s for sure,” he said. “Definitely getting a taste for playoff atmosphere in March, definitely gets the juices flowing a little bit.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Fans cheer for the United States during the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Canada, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States third baseman Alex Bregman (2) catches a pop fly by Canada first baseman Josh Naylor (12) during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States right fielder Aaron Judge, left, and first baseman Bryce Harper, right, celebrate as they score during the third inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Canada, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States right fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with teammates Brice Turang, left, and Byron Buxton, center, after their win over Canada in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States catcher Cal Raleigh, left, and pitcher Mason Miller, right, celebrate after their win over Canada in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military’s Central Command says two American-flagged merchant ships have “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz.”
It said Monday that Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf are helping to restore commercial shipping traffic.
The statement on X said the destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz “in support of Project Freedom” and that the merchant ships are ” safely headed on their journey.” It did not say when the Navy ships arrived or when the merchant vessels departed.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military on Monday denied claims that Iran struck a Navy vessel as U.S. forces now offer to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds have been stuck since the Iran war began. Tehran over the past two months has attacked some vessels and blocked others that don’t receive its authorization.
Iranian news agencies, including the semiofficial Fars and the Iranian Labour News Agency, claimed that Iran struck a U.S. vessel near an Iranian port southeast of the strait, accusing it of “violating maritime security and navigation norms.” The reports said the vessel was forced to turn back.
The U.S. Central Command said on social media that “no U.S. Navy ships have been struck.”
The U.S. military has said the new initiative, announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday, might involve guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members but has not specified what kind of assistance it would provide. The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center has advised ships to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying it set up an “enhanced security area.”
It was unclear whether any vessels were attempting to cross the strait, or whether shipping companies, and their insurers, will feel comfortable taking the risk given that Iran has fired on ships in the waterway and vowed to keep doing so.
Iran has responded to the new U.S. effort by calling it a violation of the fragile ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks.
Iran’s control of traffic through the crucial artery for a significant amount of the world’s oil and gas supplies has proved a strategic advantage in its war with the U.S. and Israel, allowing Tehran to inflict tremendous pain on the global economy despite being outgunned on the battlefield.
Trump's announcement that the U.S. would “guide” ships out of the strait warned that Iranian efforts to block them "will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”
He described “Project Freedom” in humanitarian terms, designed to aid stranded seafarers, many on oil tankers or cargo ships, who have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the war began. Crews have described to The Associated Press seeing drones and missiles explode over the waters as their vessels run low on drinking water, food and other supplies.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency called “Project Freedom” part of Trump's “delirium."
Iran’s military command on Monday said ships passing must coordinate with them.
“We warn that any foreign military force — especially the aggressive U.S. military — that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” Maj. Gen. Pilot Ali Abdollahi told state broadcaster IRIB.
The Joint Maritime Information Center urged mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities “due to anticipated high traffic volume.” It warned that passing close to usual routes, known as the traffic separation scheme, “should be considered extremely hazardous due to the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated.”
But the head of security for the Baltic and International Maritime Council, a leading shipping trade group, said no formal guidance or details about the U.S. effort had been issued to the industry. Jakob Larsen questioned whether the effort was sustainable in the long run or envisioned as a more limited operation, and said there is a “risk of hostilities breaking out again” if it goes ahead.
And the United Arab Emirates on Monday accused Iran of targeting a tanker linked to its main oil company with two drones as it passed through the strait. It did not say when the attack took place. No injuries were reported.
The disruption of the waterway has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia that depend on Persian Gulf oil and gas, raising prices far beyond the region.
Trump has promised to bring down gas prices as he faces midterm elections this year.
The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran for transit of the strait. It has enacted a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, telling 49 commercial ships to turn back, U.S. Central Command said Sunday.
The blockade has deprived Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
U.S. officials have expressed hope that the blockade forces Iran back to the negotiation table.
“We think that they’ve gotten less than $1.3 million in tolls, which is a pittance on their previous daily oil revenues,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Sunday, adding that Iran’s oil storage is rapidly filling up and “they’re going to have to start shutting in wells, which we think could be in the next week.”
Iran’s latest 14-point proposal for ending the war, made public over the weekend, calls for the U.S. lifting sanctions, ending the U.S. naval blockade, withdrawing forces from the region and ceasing all hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran’s security organizations.
Iranian officials said they were reviewing the U.S. response, though Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters on Monday that changing demands, which he did not detail, made diplomacy difficult.
Iran has claimed its proposal does not include issues related to its nuclear program and enriched uranium — long a driving force in tensions with the U.S. and Israel.
Iran’s proposal wants other issues resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire. Trump on Saturday said he was reviewing the proposal but expressed doubt it would lead to a deal.
Pakistan said Monday it has facilitated the transfer of 22 crew members from an Iranian vessel seized earlier by the U.S., describing the move as a confidence-building measure as Islamabad attempts to revive talks. Pakistan hosted face-to-face talks last month.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said the crew members, who had been aboard the Iranian container ship MV Touska, were flown to Pakistan overnight. They were expected to be handed over to Iranian authorities.
The vessel will be brought into Pakistani territorial waters for necessary repairs before being returned to its original owners, the ministry said, adding that the process is being coordinated with the support of Iran and the U.S.
Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Munir Ahmed contributed from Islamabad, Pakistan.
A bulk cargo ship sits at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026.(Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
A patrol boat moves through the water as cargo ships sit at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026.(Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
An Iranian tugboat floats in the foreground as cargo ships sit at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, May 4, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the foreground in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
People view rugs at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A woman looks at jewelry in the window of a gold shop at Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar, Iran, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A man stands in the water, appearing to fish, as bulk carriers, cargo ships, and service vessels line the horizon in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, April 27, 2026.(Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)
Vehicles drive past a billboard with graphic showing Strait of Hormuz and sewn lips of U.S. President Donald Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Cargo ships are seen at sea near the Strait of Hormuz, as viewed from a rocky shoreline near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
