Jeff McNeil's defensive slip-up against Mexico in World Baseball Classic leaves fans disappointed: "Jeff McNeil better count his days"

Today's matchup between Team USA and Team Mexico in Phoenix marks the continuation of their 2023 World Baseball Classic championship defense. Team USA made defensive errors in the third inning, which allowed Team Mexico to score a run with two outs.

Joey Meneses launched a hard shot down the third-base line with two outs. Next, when the Team USA infield was completely moved to the left side, Isaac Paredes hit a grounder to the right side. Despite Jeff McNeil's valiant effort, Paul Goldschmidt bobbled his throw to first base and Isaac was declared safe, leading to Joey scoring 3-1.

"A few defensive miscues from USA leads to Mexico tacking on a run with 2 outs in the 3rd!" - FOX Sports: MLB

While the plays were deemed hits, the USA defense might have turned them into outs. Consequently, Jeff McNeil's defensive slip-up against Mexico left baseball fans disappointed.

Here are some of the responses on Twitter displaying the fans' distress:

Nevertheless, there were fans who supported McNeil's efforts:

Team USA's position in the 2023 World Baseball Classic

World Baseball Classic Pool C: Mexico v United States: PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 12: Joey Meneses #32 of Team Mexico hits a two-run home run against Team USA during the first inning of the World Baseball Classic Pool C game at Chase Field on March 12, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

On Saturday, Team USA opened their WBC Championship defense against Great Britain with a 6-2 victory. Mexico, on the other hand, were defeated by Colombia in 10 innings.

"Get ready for the frenzy!" - MLB

Team USA will be in an excellent position to progress to the WBC quarterfinals with a 2-0 lead. However, today's WBC match against Team USA was a must-win for Mexico.