Glew: History of Canada vs. U.S. at World Baseball Classic
Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) had four hits for Canada in their 6-5 World Baseball Classic loss to the U.S. at the Rogers Centre in 2009. Photo: YouTube
March 13, 2026
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
Canada will face the U.S. in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinals showdown on Friday at 8 p.m. at Daikin Park in Houston.
It will be the sixth time the two countries have met in the tournament. The previous five contests came in Pool play.
The U.S. is 4-1 in those games, but some of them have been very memorable.
Here’s a rundown:
March 8, 2006 – Canada 8 U.S. 6
Venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, Ariz.
It was 20 years ago this past Sunday that an underdog Canadian team led by Adam Stern (London, Ont.) defeated a powerhouse U.S. squad that included Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones and Alex Rodriguez 8-6 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz., in the first World Baseball Classic.
Stern almost single-handedly propelled Canada to the victory. He went 3-for-4 with an inside-the-park home run, a triple, a single and four RBIs. In centre field, after making a diving grab earlier in the game, he made another outstanding running catch against the wall on a deep fly ball hit by Chase Utley with two outs and two runners on in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Along with Stern, Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.) and Aaron Guiel (Vancouver, B.C.) hit triples off U.S. starter Dontrelle Willis, while Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.) contributed three hits, including two doubles. Jason Bay (Trail, B.C.) added two hits and Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) had a two-run single.
On the mound, left-hander Adam Loewen (Surrey, B.C.), then just 21 years old and having never pitched above class-A, started for Canada and threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, B.C.) pitched a scoreless eighth to record a hold before right-hander Steve Green (Greenfield Park, Que.) got the final three outs to record the save.
“The one thing I remember probably the most was Adam Loewen starting the game and the first time facing a lineup like that,” Canada manager Ernie Whitt said at a press conference on Thursday, reflecting on Canada’s win over the U.S. in 2006. “I went out to him, first inning I think they had the bases loaded, and I think A-Rod or Chipper, one of the two, was coming up. And I said, ‘What are you going to do?’ He said, ‘I’m going to get him out.’ He turned a double play, got out of the inning, and all of a sudden we start hitting the ball. It was a lot of fun.”
Twenty years later, this game is known in Canadian baseball circles as the “Miracle on Grass.” It remains Canada’s greatest victory at the WBC.
March 7, 2009 – U.S. 6 Canada 5
Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto
It was one of the most exciting games ever played at Rogers Centre.
Canada entered the ninth inning of this contest trailing the U.S. 6-4 and facing closer J.J. Putz.
With one out, Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) and Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) hit back-to-back doubles to make it 6-5. With Morneau and Bay the next two hitters and just one out, the fans at Rogers Centre (attendance was 42,314) were on their feet.
Unfortunately for them, Morneau grounded out to shortstop and Bay, after a long at bat, flied out to right and the U.S. escaped with a 6-5 win.
Right-hander Mike Johnson (Edmonton, Alta.) got the start for Canada against a strong U.S. lineup that included Jeter, Jones and David Wright. Johnson would allow four runs on four hits, while striking out three, in four innings.
The Americans took a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning after Kevin Youkilis and Brian McCann homered.
Adam Dunn then clubbed a two-run home run in the sixth to make the score 6-3 for the U.S.
The aforementioned Martin and Votto were the hitting stars for Canada. On top of their ninth-inning doubles, they each homered. Votto, who had four hits in the contest, went deep in the third inning off U.S. starter Jake Peavy and Martin launched a solo shot in the seventh.
Right-hander Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) authored one of the most electrifying pitching performances ever for Canada at the WBC in this contest. In the bottom of the seventh, the U.S. loaded the bases with nobody out but the then 20-year-old Aumont rallied to retire Wright on a soft liner to short, then strike out Youkilis and Curtis Granderson to escape without allowing a run.
March 10, 2013 – U.S. 9 Canada 4
Venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, Ariz.
This game was closer than the final score would indicate.
In fact, Canada led 3-2 through six innings before the U.S. rallied to score seven runs in the final two frames.
Canada opened the scoring in the second inning when Michael Saunders (Victoria, B.C.) socked a two-run home run off U.S. starter Derek Holland.
Right-hander Jameson Taillon, whose parents are Canadian, started and permitted two runs (only one earned) and struck out three in four innings. Taillon was just 21 and had never pitched above double-A.
Dustin Molleken (Regina, Sask.) then took over for Taillon and tossed two scoreless innings.
Canada took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth when Loewen, who was now a left fielder, hit an RBI single that scored Votto.
Aumont then hurled a scoreless seventh which put Canada just six outs away from a victory.
But it wasn’t meant to be.
Adam Jones would hit a two-run double off reliever Jim Henderson (Calgary, Alta.) in the top of the eighth to give the U.S. a 4-3 lead. Shane Victorino then singled in Jones to make it 5-3.
Canada responded with a run in the bottom of the inning when Votto, Saunders and Chris Robinson (Dorchester, Ont.) singled to load the bases. Loewen then hit a grounder to second that scored Votto.
But the U.S. added four runs in the ninth, thanks largely to Eric Hosmer‘s two-out, three-run double, which put the game out of reach for Canada.
March 12, 2017 – U.S. 8 Canada 0
Venue: Marlins Park, Miami, Fla.
In this contest, Canada just couldn’t get its offence going, mustering only four hits, while striking out 15 times.
Meanwhile, the U.S. plated three runs off Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, B.C.) in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run double by Hosmer.
Nolan Arenado then belted a three-run homer off left-hander Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.), as part of a four-run second inning, to give the U.S. a 6-0 lead.
Pete Orr (Newmarket, Ont.), George Kottaras (Scarborough, Ont.), Rene Tosoni (Toronto, Ont.) and Jonathan Malo (Joliette, Que.) had the hits for Canada.
Canada also received a strong outing from reliever Scott Richmond (Vancouver, B.C.), who tossed two scoreless innings. Chris Leroux (Mississauga, Ont.) and Molleken also contributed a scoreless inning each.
March 13, 2023 – U.S. 12 Canada 1
Venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, Ariz.
In the most recent WBC showdown between the two countries, a nine-run first inning by the U.S. propelled them to a 12-1 win.
The game was a valuable learning experience for Canadian starter Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) who at 19 years, 253 days old became the youngest player ever to pitch for Canada at the World Baseball Classic.
In the first inning, the U.S. scored nine runs on five hits, three walks and a hit by pitch. The big blows were a two-run double by Arenado and a three-run home run from Mike Trout off right-hander RJ Freure (Burlington, Ont.) who entered the game in relief.
In the top of the second, Jared Young (Prince George, B.C.) responded with a leadoff home run for Canada off U.S. starter Lance Lynn.
The U.S. answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame when Arenado walked and was tripled home by Tim Anderson, who would score on a sacrifice fly by J.T. Realmuto. Trea Turner followed with a solo home run to make it 12-1.
On a positive note for Canada, right-hander Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, B.C.) entered the game in the fourth inning to make his national team debut and tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out Anderson and Mookie Betts.
Third baseman Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) singled in the fifth inning for one of his two hits in the contest. Toro’s fifth inning hit was the second and last hit Canada had against Lynn in his five-inning, 65-pitch start for the U.S in which he fanned six batters to pick up the win.
In the game’s most heartwarming moment, 38-year-old left-hander Adam Loewen, who hadn’t pitched professionally since 2018, returned to the mound at Chase Field. As noted earlier, a 21-year-old Loewen had been the starting pitcher for Canada against the U.S. at the same field in the 2006 WBC.
On this night, Loewen, who lost his wife, Lynda, to cancer in December 2021 and with his children in the stands, came into the game with two outs in the fifth and got Arenado to fly out to centre field to end the inning and then struck out Kyle Tucker to start the sixth before Whitt came out to remove him. The two briefly embraced before Loewen left the mound.
Making his WBC debut, right-hander Cade Smith (Vancouver, BC) took over for Loewen and recorded the final two outs of the sixth.