Italian team players celebrate WBC success with la dolce vita: espresso, wine and Armani

MIAMI (AP) — Dylan DeLucia pitched four scoreless innings against Puerto Rico to help boost Italy to its first World Baseball Classic semifinal and immediately was aware of the impact created by a team celebrating home run shots with shots — of espresso.

“I opened my phone after the game to like 60 DMs and it was in words ... I didn't know how to say,” the pitcher explained Sunday of his direct messages. "So definitely going to have to do some Google translate, for sure."

Italy plays Venezuela on Monday night for a berth in the championship against the United States or the Dominican Republic.

Just three players listed on Italy’s roster were born in Il Bel Paese: Los Angeles Angeles left-hander Sam Aldegheri; Gabriele Quattrini, a 29-year-old right-hander who has pitched in the Italian Serie A; and Claudio Scotti, a 27-year-old right-hander released from a minor league contract by the New York Mets in 2023.

Italy's roster also includes Philadelphia All-Star pitcher Aaron Nola, who would start Tuesday's final, and Kansas City All-Star first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, the team captain, who gives his each home-run hitting teammate a kiss on each cheek.

Long ball hitters cut a bella figura, honored with a Giorgio Armani jacket during the dugout celebrazione,

Following each win in a 5-0 start, the team luxuriated la dolce vita, with pitchers and players each given a bottle of wine, a suggestion of team publicist Jason Zillo of the New York Yankees. Pedigree increases with each win, and selections have included Francesco Rinaldi Barolo, Barbaresco Montefico, Antinori Prunotto: Bric Turot and Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico.

“Last night I forgot to take the brown paper bags off of them when I handed them out. so it looked like I was passing 40s around to guys on the team after we won,” Pasquantino said after he became the first player with a WBC three-homer game, in the group stage win over Mexico.

In a soccer-mad nation where calcio is omnipresent, the baseball Azzurri have managed to make some impact.

Sunday's front page of La Gazzetta Sportiva was dominated by Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus but included a small box at the bottom featuring baseball with the headline “CHE ITALIA” followed by a subhead that started “Altra impresa” (What an Italy ... another feat)."

“In the south of Italy they don’t play that much baseball and yesterday everyone was watching the game,” Italy manager Francisco Cervelli said. “They send me pictures all the time. It’s like the family reunion watching baseball."

A big league catcher from 2008-20, Cervelli was born in Venezuela to an Italian father, and he played for the Azzurri in the 2009 and 2018 WBCs. He moved to Florence, Italy, last year after he replaced Hall of Famer Mike Piazza as manager.

A Juventus fan, he of course follows Serie A.

“If you watch the newspaper, it’s going to be five, six pages about soccer,” he said. “And now we’re in. Yesterday I think was the first time for the national team on TV.”

Pasquantani was born in Richmond, Virginia, and says he became eligible for the Azzurri because his paternal great grandfather was from Italy.

Home runs are celebrated this year with sips from a Lavazza Classy Mini, and Pasquantino is the current barrista. He took over from Piazza, who had a Nespresso machine in the dugout at the 2023 WBC.

“I think it kind of comedically worked out that they were too hot the first day. So people were spitting them out,” Pasquantino said. “But it is just coffee. I’m not spiking it with anything other than coffee.”

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Italy catcher JJ D'Orazio celebrates a victory over Puerto Rico following a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Italy's Andrew Fischer celebrates after hitting a two-run double during the fourth inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Puerto Rico, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Italy manager Francisco Cervelli (29) removes starting pitcher Sam Aldegheri as catcher JJ D'Orazio (28) watches during the second inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Puerto Rico, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Italy first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino celebrates a home run with an expresso in the second inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Mexico, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Puerto Rico pitcher Eduardo Rivera celebrates after striking out Italy's Vinnie Pasquantino during the second inning of a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Pops of color dominated the Oscars red carpet as stars from Renate Reinsve to Chase Infiniti stunned in their custom gowns ahead of the ceremony Sunday.

Reinsve, who is nominated for best actress, radiated on the carpet in a classic red Louis Vuitton strapless dress with a high side slit. She paired the look with a red lip and her hair slicked back. For her first Academy Award ceremony, Infiniti opted for a pale lavender mermaid style ruffle dress also by Louis Vuitton that she wore with shimmering jeweled choker. Infiniti has delivered strikingly stylish looks across award show season for her role in “One Battle After Another.”

Rose Byrne brought old Hollywood glamour to the carpet in a chic custom black Dior gown embroidered with colorful beaded flowers.

Like their colorful animated film, the cast of “KPopDemon Hunters” delivered a splash of bright colors to the red carpet in their regal gowns. Arden Cho chose Korean designer Miss Sohee for her Oscars look. Cho posed for photos in a structured black lace mermaid gown with her shoulders draped in an opulent vibrant green silk stole designed with an intricate nature scape scene down the panels. Her co-star Ji-young Yoo opted for a two-toned blue Carolina Herrera ballgown with a romantic sweetheart shaped neckline.

While the women brought vivid colors to the carpet, the men kept it classy in black suited looks. Actor Hudson Williams arrived in an all-black suited Balenciaga look paired with Bvlgari jewelry. Shaboozey rarely disappoints on the carpet with his modern takes on black tie attire. The red-carpet style maven sported a Balenciaga tailcoat look with a vest and a pearled pocket chain.

For this year’s nominees, the Oscars red carpet is the final chance to dazzle before the curtain closes on award season. While some stars stick to traditional codes of red-carpet attire choosing to wear tuxedos and evening gowns, others shake it up with their own fresh spin on black tie dressing.

Teyana Taylor, Timothée Chalamet and Emma Stone are just a few of the fashionable actors up for Academy Awards. With their track record of red carpet risk-taking, these stars are guaranteed to liven up the carpet.

Chalamet famously wore a Givenchy by Sarah Burton butter yellow leather suit to the 2025 Oscar ceremony.

Each red carpet leading up to the Oscars has served as Taylor’s runway. Nominated for best supporting actress, Taylor has become one to watch for her stylish choices. At the Golden Globes, she showed off a jeweled bow whale tail on the back of her custom Schiaparelli draped black gown. Taylor delivered another showstopping look at the Actor Awards when she wore a Thom Browne dress with a bodice designed to look like a painting of the female form.

The Oscars have the potential to catapult an actor’s career into another level of star status.

With that magnitude in mind, some actors choose to play it safe on the carpet, arriving in old Hollywood Glamour instead of edgy or dramatic looks, leaving the more risque looks for the after parties.

The luxury fashion houses from Armani, Dior, Valentino, Prada to Chanel dominate the Oscars red carpet each year. Rarely will celebrities wear an independent designer on the carpet as many of these household names are under contracts as brand ambassadors with these major brands.

Frankenstein actor Mia Goth, for instance, was named a brand ambassador by Dior last year and wore a black Dior gown to Golden Globes.

Oscar attendees sometimes make more than fashion statements. Actors have made political statements as well with “ICE OUT” or “BE GOOD” pins have made an appearance at several red carpets this award season in response to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Oscar attendees sometimes make more than fashion statements. Actors chose to make political statements on the carpet by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza with their ‘Artists4Ceasefire’ pins. Actor Charithra Chandran added the pin on the carpet to lush bright green ballgown.

For more coverage of the 2026 Oscars, visit https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards.

A security guard stands along an empty red carpet Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the night before Sunday's 98th Academy Awards ceremony. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Workers install an Oscar statue Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, in preparation for Sunday's 98th Academy Awards ceremony. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)