USA advances to WBC semifinals, Ohtani builds up pitching

Team USA beats Canada 5-3, will face Dominican Republic in semifinals

Mar. 14, 2026 at 3:04am

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The United States advanced to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic with a 5-3 win over Canada on Friday night. The earlier game saw the Dominican Republic shut out Korea 10-0. Shohei Ohtani continues to build up his pitching ahead of the regular season, throwing four simulated innings on Thursday.

Why it matters

The WBC is a prestigious international baseball tournament, and the U.S. team's advancement to the semifinals is a significant achievement. Ohtani's pitching progression is also closely watched as he prepares for the upcoming MLB season.

The details

Will Smith did not play for Team USA on Friday, with Cal Raleigh splitting catching duties. Clayton Kershaw is expected to be replaced on the U.S. roster by Twins starter Joe Ryan for the semifinals. The Dominican Republic cruised to a 10-0 win over Korea, with a four-run third inning and a three-run home run by Austin Wells in the seventh. Hyeseong Kim returned to the Korea lineup after missing the last pool play game due to injury.

  • The U.S. defeated Canada 5-3 on Friday night.
  • The Dominican Republic shut out Korea 10-0 earlier on Friday.
  • Shohei Ohtani threw four simulated innings on Thursday in Miami.

The players

Will Smith

A catcher for Team USA who has been splitting duties with Cal Raleigh.

Clayton Kershaw

A pitcher for Team USA who did not play in the first five games of the tournament and is expected to be replaced on the roster.

Joe Ryan

A Twins starter who is expected to replace Kershaw on Team USA's roster for the semifinals.

Hyun-jin Ryu

A former Dodgers pitcher who started for Korea and struggled, getting through only five outs.

Hyeseong Kim

A Korea player who missed the last pool play game due to injury but returned to the lineup on Friday.

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What they’re saying

“We get Trackman reports. We know how many pitches he's thrown, we know the velocity, we have a general idea of the movements. We get some cellphone videos and stuff from Will Ireton (who is working with Team Japan during the tournament) and Possum (Yosuke Nakajima, a Dodgers trainer), who was in Tokyo as well.”

— Mark Prior, Dodgers pitching coach

What’s next

Team USA will take on the Dominican Republic in the first WBC semifinal on Sunday night at loanDepot Park in Miami. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be on the mound and Shohei Ohtani in the lineup as designated hitter for Japan in their quarterfinal matchup with Venezuela on Saturday night.

The takeaway

The U.S. team's advancement to the WBC semifinals is a significant achievement, showcasing the depth of talent on the roster. Ohtani's continued pitching progression is also a key storyline to watch as he prepares for the MLB season with the Los Angeles Angels.