HOUSTON -- Team USA advanced to the World Baseball Classic semifinals on Friday night, but not before Canada gave them a genuine scare in front of 38,054 fans at Daikin Park. The Americans escaped with a 5-3 victory that was far closer than the early innings suggested, setting the stage for a highly anticipated semifinal clash against the Dominican Republic on Sunday night in Miami.

The United States came out swinging and built what appeared to be a comfortable cushion. Kyle Schwarber drove in the first run of the game with a groundout in the opening frame, and Alex Bregman delivered the biggest blow of the night with a two-run single in the third inning that pushed the lead to 3-0. By the time Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong each singled home runs in the top of the sixth, the Americans held a seemingly insurmountable 5-0 advantage.

But Canada had other plans. The bottom of the sixth turned into a nightmare for Team USA as the Canadians mounted a three-run rally, punctuated by a Bo Naylor home run that suddenly made it a two-run game at 5-3. The momentum had shifted dramatically, and the Houston crowd, which had been in a celebratory mood moments earlier, fell into nervous tension.

The seventh inning brought the most heart-stopping moment of the night. Canada loaded the bases with two runners in scoring position and nobody out, threatening to erase the deficit entirely. That is when reliever David Bednar rose to the occasion in spectacular fashion. Facing the heart of the Canadian lineup, Bednar induced a pop-out before striking out the next two batters to slam the door shut and preserve the victory.

Earlier in the evening at loanDepot park, the Dominican Republic put on an offensive clinic that should concern every remaining team in the tournament. They demolished Korea 10-0 in a game so lopsided it ended after seven innings via the run rule. The Dominicans scored four times in the third inning to blow the game open, and a three-run homer in the seventh provided the exclamation point on a dominant performance.

The numbers coming out of the Dominican Republic camp are staggering. Through five games in the 2026 Classic, they have scored 51 runs, averaging more than 10 per contest and easily outpacing every other nation in the tournament. Their 14 home runs are tied for the most by any team in a single World Baseball Classic, matching Mexico's 2009 mark. Stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Juan Soto have not only been mashing at the plate but have also displayed aggressive, highlight-reel baserunning that has energized the entire roster.

Manager Albert Pujols praised his squad's versatility after the rout. "This team is able to score runs in different ways," Pujols said, pointing to the combination of power hitting and daring baserunning that has defined their tournament run.

The semifinal matchup between the United States and the Dominican Republic on Sunday promises to be the marquee event of the tournament. Paul Skenes is expected to get the ball for Team USA, tasked with slowing down the most prolific offense in WBC history. The other semifinal bracket features Japan against Venezuela on Saturday.

The semifinals and championship game will all be held at Marlins Park in Miami, with the title game scheduled for Tuesday. For Team USA, Friday night served as both a relief and a warning. They have the talent to win it all, but against a Dominican Republic team hitting on all cylinders, there is no margin for the kind of lapses that nearly cost them against Canada.