Mexico wins Pool C, advances to World Baseball Classic quarterfinals

Mexico won its last three games, including a 10-3 triumph over Canada at Chase Field in Phoenix on Wednesday, to win Pool C and advance to the next round of the World Baseball Classic.

Up next for Mexico is a quarterfinal matchup at loanDepot Park in Miami, playing the winner of Wednesday’s Dominican Republic-Puerto Rico game. Julio Urías is likely to start that game for Mexico, though whether it’s played Friday or Saturday depends on the outcome of USA vs. Colombia later on Wednesday night.

Urías last pitched last Saturday against Colombia, throwing 62 pitches in five innings, allowing three runs.

If the U.S. advances, its quarterfinal matchup against Venezuela would be played on Saturday evening. But should Colombia or Canada advance by winning a convoluted three-team tiebreaker, they’d get the Friday quarterfinal, and Mexico’s game would be Saturday.

On Wednesday, Barnes caught his third of four games in Pool C, and he walked three times in five plate appearances. He scored both times on an extra-base hit by Randy Arozarena, a double in the second inning and a three-run triple that broke the game wide open in the sixth.

In Pool C play, Barnes had three hits in 10 at-bats, walked four times, and scored three runs.