Garrett Cleavinger Delivers Clean First Look as Team USA Holds Mexico in WBC 2026
garrett cleavinger was the first man out of Team USA’s bullpen on Monday night in Houston, stepping into the USA-Mexico rivalry game with the Americans up 5-0. The left-handed reliever for the Tampa Bay Rays opened his outing in the top of the fifth inning, with manager Mark DeRosa turning to him to keep the pressure on. By the middle of the fifth, garrett cleavinger had finished a 1-2-3 frame, capped by a strikeout that closed the inning at 9: 00 pm ET.
USA’s early edge holds as bullpen door swings open
Team USA continued play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a matchup against Mexico, a rematch of a pool-play meeting three years ago when Mexico won 11-5. On Monday night, the live game flow in Houston showed the Americans in control by the fifth inning, leaning on both pitching and sharp defense to protect the lead.
The tone was set on the mound earlier in the night by Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace and reigning National League Cy Young winner. In his WBC debut, Skenes worked four innings, allowing one hit and striking out seven, a clean start that left the bullpen in position to attack the middle innings without urgency.
Garrett Cleavinger’s 1-2-3 inning, powered by defense
Garrett Cleavinger entered to begin the top of the fifth inning and immediately got contact that was turned into an out: Nacho Alvarez Jr. lined out to a leaping Brice Turang at second base. The inning continued with the Americans flashing the glove, with the game described as a defensive clinic in the fifth inning—Turang making a jumping play look routine and Bobby Witt Jr. delivering a diving stop and throw to first that was completed with an equally impressive diving catch by Bryce Harper.
Cleavinger’s frame ended efficiently. In the middle of the fifth inning, Cleavinger struck out Alek Thomas to close a 1-2-3 inning, with the defensive support around him highlighted as a key part of why the inning stayed quiet.
Mexico pushes back in the sixth as USA turns to Matthew Boyd
Mexico broke through in the top of the sixth inning when Jarren Duran hit a solo home run off Matthew Boyd into the Crawford boxes in left field, putting Mexico on the board with the score listed at 5-1. Duran’s homer came in a left-on-left matchup against Boyd, and the moment was framed as a boost of life for Team Mexico in the middle innings.
Boyd, the Chicago Cubs left-hander, was described as a key cog in DeRosa’s bullpen for Team USA. The game notes also pointed to Boyd’s recent season with the Cubs, including a 3. 21 ERA over 31 starts and his first All-Star nomination, as context for why he is in a trusted relief role in this tournament.
What’s next in this USA-Mexico WBC 2026 night
With the rivalry game unfolding inning by inning in Houston, the immediate focus remains on whether Team USA’s pitching and defense can keep limiting Mexico’s hits while the Americans protect their lead. For Team USA, the early pitching foundation from Skenes and the clean bullpen bridge from garrett cleavinger have already shaped the night’s momentum. The next developments will come in the late innings as DeRosa continues matching bullpen arms to Mexico’s lineup under the WBC format in play at 9: 00 pm ET.
