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Tanner Houck Closes Out Japan (2023 Semis)

2023 World Baseball Classic

Deficit

Down 4-2

Hero

Houck

Venue

Miami

Round

Semifinal

United StatesMexico
Shop WBC JerseysAll 25 Moments

Why It Ranks

The semifinal that set up the Ohtani-Trout final. The US comeback against Mexico was thrilling. Houck's relief performance was elite. The electric atmosphere between US and Mexican fans made this feel like a rivalry game at a World Cup.

The Moment

The 2023 WBC semifinal between the US and Mexico was one of the most intense games in tournament history. Mexico took a 4-2 lead into the late innings, and it looked like the host nation would be eliminated. Then the US bullpen went to work, and Tanner Houck — a reliever most casual fans had never heard of — became the hero America needed.

The US rallied to tie it, and Houck locked down the final innings to preserve a dramatic comeback victory. His composure on the mound — facing a Mexican lineup that had been mashing all tournament — was the kind of ice-cold performance that defines tournament baseball. The crowd at LoanDepot Park was split between American and Mexican fans, creating an atmosphere closer to a soccer match than a baseball game.

Mexico's heartbreak was palpable. They had the game in hand and watched it slip away. But for Team USA, Houck's performance was the bridge that got them to the final against Japan. Without his shutdown innings, Ohtani vs. Trout never happens.

Fun Facts

LoanDepot Park was so loud during the US-Mexico semifinal that players said they could feel the crowd noise in their chest.

Mexico had not lost a game in the 2023 WBC until the semifinal against the US.

Tanner Houck's WBC performance directly led to him earning a bigger role with the Red Sox the following season.

The game drew the highest baseball TV ratings in the US since the 2019 World Series.

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