One of the three teams with the best record remaining in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Italy hopes to keep up with this team this afternoon in the semifinals.
Italy went 4-0 in the first round of the WBC, defeating Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Great Britain to take first place in Pool B. With 12 home runs, they do not have the tournament record (currently held by Mexico).
They will face Puerto Rico this afternoon. Puerto Rico finished second in Pool A behind Canada, which gave them the end of the group stage. Three big wins against Colombia, Panama and Cuba helped them advance. The Puerto Rico team currently owns the best pitching in the WBC with a collective 1.22 ERA in 37 innings.
2026 world baseball classic: what you need to know
- WHO: Team Puerto Rico vs. Italian team (quarterfinal)
- When: March 14, 3pm ET
- Where: Daikin Park (Houston, Texas)
- Station: FS1
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it for free)
Head-to-head, these teams have only met twice before the WBC; Puerto Rico won both matchups in 2013 and 2017.
The winner of tonight’s quarterfinal will advance to Monday’s semifinal against the winner of Japan vs. Venezuela.
First time Puerto Rico-Italy WBC 2026
The quarterfinal of the World Baseball Classic between Puerto Rico and Italy is scheduled to begin at 3 pm ET today, March 14.
How to watch Puerto Rico vs. Italy for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching live baseball for free — its free five-day trial includes FS1 (and FOX, where the entire WBC will air). Once the trial is over, you’ll pay a flat fee of $59.99/month and get access to over 90 live channels.
Sling TV is another affordable way to stream live TV; its Select plan includes FS1 and FOX, and starts at $19.99/month.
Puerto Rico vs. Italian pitchers
Seth Lugo starts in Puerto Rico; Sam Aldegheri will be on the mound for Italy.
Important dates for the World Baseball Classic 2026
- QF 3: Puerto Rico vs. Italy – March 14, 3 pm ET (FS1)
- QF 4: Japan vs. Venezuela – March 14, 9 pm ET (FOX)
- SF 1: Dominican Republic vs. United States – March 15, 8 pm ET (FS1)
- SF 2: Winner of QF3 vs. QF4 Winner – March 16, 8 pm ET (FS1)
- Championship – March 17, 8 pm ET (FOX)
Why Trust Post Is Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commercial Broadcast Reporter for the Wanted Post, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up-to-date on cord-cutting deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Angela not only researches and compares the streaming services she writes about to make sure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a big fan of the intersection of shopping, technology, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also stalking Bath & Body Works fragrance dupes and testing headphones. Before joining Decider and the New York Post in 2023, he wrote about broadcast and consumer technology for Insider Reviews.
