Israel closes out WBC campaign with statement victory over Netherlands
· Yahoo Sports
With the victory, Israel improved its record to a very respectable 2–2 and took sole possession ahead of the Dutch of third place in Pool D.
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Israel finished its 2026 World Baseball Classic tournament by going out with a bang – quite literally – as it defeated its European archrival, the Netherlands, 6-2 at LoanDepot Stadium in Miami late Tuesday.
With the victory, Israel improved its record to a very respectable 2–2 and took sole possession ahead of the Dutch of third place in Pool D, which – because of the high quality of competition – had been cynically called the “Death Pool.”
The blue-and-white overcame an early lead provided by the Netherlands’ two big guns, former MLB All-Stars Didi Gregorius and Xander Bogaerts, who each knocked in runs to stake Holland to a 2-0 lead.
Jake Gelof, whose defensive play had helped Israel turn the tide in its previous victory over Nicaragua, went on the offensive with a massive run-scoring blast of his own, hitting a double that plated Israel’s offensive standout Noah Mendlinger to cut the lead to 2-1. Yankees minor league prospect Harrison Cohen came on early and set a WBC record by striking out five of the six hitters he faced with a nearly unhittable cutter, which Yankees fans were overly eager to compare with that of legendary Mariano Rivera.
The game stayed tight through the middle innings until, once again, Israel exploded for four runs, with Gelof and Matt Mervis smashing key hits. Mervis, who had delighted Miami fans just last spring when he led the Marlins in dingers in the early going, returned to the top form that earned him the nickname “Mash,” and lined a two-run double that put Israel squarely ahead and closed out the scoring.
TEAM ISRAEL’S Jake Gelof broke out on offense for the blue-and-white, scoring a run along with three RBIs in the 6-2 World Baseball Classic victory over the Netherlands in Miami. (credit: Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)Both bullpens took turns shutting down late-inning threats. However, despite yet another combined dominating performance by Israeli pitchers, Israeli fans held their breath as the Dutch loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, giving Red Sox player Ceddanne Rafaela a chance to tie the game. Reliever Ben Simon enabled blue-and-white fans to exhale with a nasty game-ending strikeout pitch that, as the saying goes, had Simon saying, “go home.”
So while the offense deserved a lion’s share of the credit by amassing Israel’s highest run total over the last two WBC tournaments (15 runs over the four games), the key to victory once again was Israel’s pitching, which took control and held the Dutch to only three hits.
Players open up about representing Israel
Significantly, the postgame press conference allowed the Israeli stars of the game to focus on what it meant for them to wear Israel across their chests. Gelof, whose brother Zach played for Israel in the 2023 WBC and currently stars with the Oakland A’s, remarked how they would together circle the calendar in anticipation of the opportunity to represent Israel.
Cohen was openly emotional, revealing that this had been his childhood dream.
“Not only just a token of where you’ve gotten to in your career, but as a token of how I was brought up, how I was raised – my parents, my family, my heritage.”
Mervis revealed that in the moments following the game, he had already spoken with his father, who gave his accomplishments at the plate added meaning by telling him that at the precise moment Mash was blasting one of his two doubles, Israeli fans were sent scurrying into their shelters as missiles rocked Tel Aviv. Mervis mentioned the impact his Israeli grandmother had on his life and, like his fellow American-born players, feels a bond that goes well beyond the white lines of the diamond.
Manager Brad Ausmus brought everything into focus by remarking how achievements like today’s will inspire more Jewish players. He joined his players in expressing hope that their success would be a new source of pride for Israeli and American Jews, just as Sandy Koufax had been for his generation.