Inside The Phillies

After Not Starting Any Phillies, Team USA Got Rocked By Mexico in WBC

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa declined to start a single Philadelphia Phillies player on Sunday night as his squad got rocked by Mexico.
Kade Kistner|
After Not Starting Any Phillies, Team USA Got Rocked By Mexico in WBC
After Not Starting Any Phillies, Team USA Got Rocked By Mexico in WBC

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Team USA lost in resounding fashion to Team Mexico on Sunday night in the group stage of the World Baseball Classic. The USA suffered a 11-5 loss to Mexico despite being the heavy favorite. 

However, one thing the USA was noticeably missing was the fact that not a single one of the starters was a Philadelphia Phillies player. 

Now, not starting catcher J.T. Realmuto makes some sense. He needs rest and he had just started behind the plate the night prior. But leaving out Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner was a head scratcher.

Schwarber was responsible for a mammoth three-run home run the night before and seems to be getting hot.

Turner is arguably the best shortstop in baseball and also boats the most speed on the base paths of anyone on the roster.

Couple that with the fact that manager Mark DeRosa decided to go with two New York Mets in Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil instead and it begins to make you wonder. Especially given that the duo went a combined 1-for-8 and McNeil made some defensive errors in the third inning that led to Mexico gaining momentum they would never relinquish.

Who knows what DeRosa has in store for Monday night against Team Canada, but it may behoove him to place some of the Phillies back in his lineup. Big bats and speed are something Team USA could use more of right now. 

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl.  During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated.  Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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