Historic Paul Skenes outing overshadowed by Team USA’s possible historic WBC stumble

For four innings on Monday night, Paul Skenes reminded the baseball world exactly who he is.

Pitching for Team USA against a dangerous Mexican lineup at the World Baseball Classic, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace carved through hitters with a performance that felt like a statement to the entire tournament: four innings, seven strikeouts, triple-digit heat.

Seven of the 12 outs Skenes recorded came via strikeout, setting a World Baseball Classic record for a right-handed Team USA pitcher in a single game. It was vintage Skenes: explosive fastballs, wipeout secondary pitches, and the calm confidence of a pitcher who looks like he was built for the biggest stages in the sport.

But less than 24 hours later, that historic outing may already be fading into the background. On Tuesday night, Team USA suffered one of the most shocking losses in World Baseball Classic history, falling 8–6 to Italy after digging itself into an 8–0 hole.

Team USA is now 3–1 in the group stage and has scored 35 runs while allowing 17. Italy is 3–0, and Mexico is 2–1. Now, the Americans will be watching with bated breath as Italy and Mexico play one another on Wednesday to determine whether they will advance to the knockout round.

Tuesday's upset didn’t just hurt the Americans in the standings. It exposed a level of complacency that has now placed a star-studded roster on the brink of an early exit.

Team USA risks wasting Paul Skenes' historic WBC performance

USA manager Mark DeRosa openly admitted the team believed it had essentially clinched a quarterfinal berth after beating Mexico, and his lineup decisions reflected that confidence — or overconfidence. Several of Team USA’s biggest stars, including Bryce Harper, Alex Bregman and Byron Buxton, began the game on the bench.

Italy took advantage immediately. Home runs from Kyle Teel, Jac Caglianone, and Sam Antonacci stunned the Americans and built a 5–0 lead. When an error from Brad Keller opened the door for three more runs in the sixth, the deficit ballooned to 8–0.

The late rally — capped by Aaron Judge coming to the plate as the tying run in the ninth — felt dramatic but ultimately hollow. Judge struck out, and suddenly Team USA no longer controlled its own path to the knockout stage.

That’s what makes Skenes’ masterpiece feel so bittersweet. He did exactly what an ace is supposed to do in a tournament setting: deliver a signature performance that can anchor a championship run. Instead, his historic outing may become something else entirely — a footnote in one of the most stunning collapses in the tournament’s history.

Ironically, Skenes may have been the only American who treated the moment with the urgency it demanded. While some players openly downplayed the importance of the tournament before it began, he attacked the mound like the WBC was October baseball.

Skenes pitched like a man determined to carry his country — and now, Team USA might not even make it out of pool play. If that happens, Skenes’ seven-strikeout masterpiece won’t just be remembered as dominant. It will be remembered as a warning the rest of the team failed to hear.