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The team suffered a brutal loss to Mexico over the weekend.

This past weekend saw the first round of the World Baseball Classic, a globe-spanning baseball tournament in which the best teams from various countries compete for supremacy. The first game was between the Mexican and US teams, but unfortunately, the US team put in a less-than-stellar showing, losing the game 11-5. This is the second-worst performance by an American team in the history of the WBC.

“It’s tough,” Team Manager Mark DeRosa said after the game. “You’re trying to massage innings. You’re trying to protect these guys. You’re trying to honor their parent clubs.” According to DeRosa, his biggest concern is the health of his pitchers, on the urgings of each pitcher’s managing club. The over-emphasis on pitcher health has been cited as a major contributing factor to the loss.

“A lot of these guys are restricted from cleaning up a dirty inning and going back out,” DeRosa said.

“There’s a lot of honoring parent clubs’ wishes to get these guys ready for the regular season,” DeRosa clarified. “You’re kind of limited in the number of arms you have down there. You have to push some guys.”

If Team USA will be handcuffed by pitching restrictions, is it worth even playing in the WBC? Column: https://t.co/ZklNShzFjT

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 13, 2023

Despite the nasty loss, the members of the team are doing their best to stay optimistic about the rest of the series. “We’re a really good baseball team,” said relief pitcher Brady Singer. “I’m not too worried about it. We have to come back fighting tomorrow.”

“The vibe is still the same,” shortstop Tim Anderson said. “You look around and see who’s in the locker room and there’s nothing to complain about. We have a bunch of dudes in there. It’s just a matter of time before things start clicking.”