Canada lost 10-3 to Mexico on Wednesday and will need a miracle to extend its adventure at the World Baseball Classic.
Randy Arozarena hit two doubles and drove in five runs, while Rowdy Tellez homered and added two RBIs for Mexico, which advanced to the quarterfinals.
Canada had the chance to qualify for the quarter-final round for the first time in its history with a victory. They are now unlikely to avoid group stage elimination for the fifth time in a row.
A USA win over Colombia late Wednesday night will eliminate Canada. If Colombia causes the upset, the three countries will find themselves with records of 2-2.
The winner of the tiebreaker would be the one with the fewest runs allowed divided by the number of successful defensive outs in games against the other tied teams. Canada would find itself in a difficult position due to its 12-1 loss to the United States on Monday.
Mexico opened the tournament with a surprising loss to Colombia in Group C at Chase Field. It recovered well with three straight wins, beating the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.
José Urquidy allowed two runs in four innings, striking out five at bats for the victory. Arozarena, the 2021 All-American Rookie of the Year with the Tampa Bay Rays, hit a double that cleared the bases in the sixth inning to give Mexico a 6-2 lead.
Canada’s leadoff batter Édouard Julien hit two hits, including a homer in the seventh inning. Receiver Bo Naylor also homered. Rob Zastryzny took the loss after giving up three runs in two sets.
Canada finished the group stage with a 2-2 record, having won against the United Kingdom and Colombia and lost against the United States and Mexico.