Mark DeRosa admits he thought Team USA had already advanced before stunning WBC loss to Italy

Team USA had not, in fact, punched its ticket to the quarterfinals just yet. DeRosa’s quote spread like wildfire after the Americans lost to the Italians 8-6 in a stunning upset, leaving Team USA in jeopardy of getting eliminated.

If Mexico beats Italy on Wednesday, all three teams would be tied atop the Pool B standings at 3-1 with only two advancing. The tiebreaker is based on a runs-allowed quotient calculated as follows: fewest runs allowed divided by the number of defensive outs recorded in the games in that round between the teams tied.

In simpler terms, Team USA would need either Italy to score at least 5 runs or Mexico to score at least 6 runs when the latter two teams face off on Wednesday, assuming Mexico wins.

DeRosa spoke to reporters after the game and admitted that he “misspoke” and that he “completely misread the calculations” while preparing for Tuesday’s game.

It’s all moot if Italy wins to sweep Pool B, allowing Team USA to advance without any complications. But it wouldn’t erase the fact that DeRosa made a serious error heading into a critical WBC game. He could have made some key decisions in the contest under the assumption that he had free rein to experiment rather than go for a win. Team USA’s hopes rest on another team’s hands.