Team Israel beat the Netherlands 6-2 in its final game of the World Baseball Classic, finishing the first round of the tournament with a 2-2 record.
It will not advance to the international tournament’s second round.
The team came in third out of the five teams in its pool, behind powerhouses Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, both studded with major league all-stars. Its performance was in line with what analysts predicted before the tournament started last weekend.
The Netherlands scored two runs in the first inning, and Israel answered with a run in the second and then a big five-run sixth inning. Jake Gelof, who has played in the minor leagues in the LA Dodgers’ farm system, hit a bases-loaded two-run single, which was followed later by a two-run double from Matt Mervis, a first baseman with the Washington Nationals.
The team is composed primarily of Jewish American baseball players.
The Netherlands will also not advance to the next round of the tournament.
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
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