HOUSTON -- Italy delivered a stunning blow to Team USA on Tuesday night, rallying early and holding on late for an 8-6 victory at Minute Maid Park in what is being called one of the greatest upsets in the 20-year history of the World Baseball Classic. The result has thrown Pool B into chaos and left the Americans' tournament future in the hands of other teams.

In front of a heavily pro-American crowd of 38,653, Team Italy jumped on U.S. starter Nolan McLean in the second inning, when two members of the Chicago White Sox organization -- outfielder Sal Teel and infielder Frank Antonacci -- launched back-to-back home runs to stake Italy to an early 3-0 lead. The sellout crowd fell silent, but the worst was yet to come.

Italy blew the game open in the fourth inning when designated hitter Vince Caglianone crushed a 110.4-mph two-run home run off reliever Ryan Yarbrough, extending the lead to 5-0. The rout continued in the sixth, as reliever Brad Keller committed a throwing error and uncorked a wild pitch during a three-run Italian rally, giving the European underdogs a commanding 8-0 advantage.

To their credit, the Americans did not go quietly. Pete Crow-Armstrong smashed two home runs in the late innings, and Gunnar Henderson added a solo blast of his own, trimming the deficit to 8-6 and sending the Houston crowd into a frenzy. The drama reached its peak in the bottom of the ninth, when Aaron Judge strode to the plate as the tying run with two outs. But Italian closer Greg Weissert proved up to the moment, striking out the Yankees slugger on a nasty slider to seal the biggest win in Italian baseball history.

The loss drops Team USA to 3-1 in pool play, while Italy improved to a perfect 3-0 heading into Wednesday's final Pool B matchup against Mexico. The result has created a complicated tiebreaker scenario that could see Team USA eliminated in the first round for the first time in tournament history.

Team USA's path to the quarterfinals is now alarmingly narrow. If Italy defeats Mexico on Wednesday, the Americans advance as the second team out of Pool B. However, a Mexico victory would create a three-way tie at 3-1 among the United States, Italy, and Mexico, triggering a run-differential tiebreaker that could end America's tournament. A low-scoring Mexican win would be the worst-case scenario for the U.S. squad.

The Italy-Mexico game, scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday and airing on Tubi, has suddenly become must-watch television for American baseball fans who will find themselves in the unusual position of rooting for an opponent.

Italy's rise in international baseball has been one of the sport's great stories, fueled by players of Italian descent from Major League organizations across North America. Their blend of youthful energy and fearless play has made them a legitimate contender rather than a mere curiosity in the WBC bracket.

For Team USA manager Mark DeRosa and his star-studded roster, the wait until Wednesday evening will be an agonizing one. A team built to win the tournament now faces the possibility of an early exit, all because Italy refused to read the script.