Jonathan Aranda blast sets off Mexico’s fiesta
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- March 6, 2026
Mexico brings passion to WBC opener
HOUSTON – With banda and mariachi classics playing throughout batting practice, the festive tone was set early Friday afternoon by the DJ at Daikin Park. The fiesta truly took off, however, when Jonathan Aranda hit a three-run blast in the eighth inning, putting Mexico ahead for good against Great Britain.
If you wondered how much the World Baseball Classic means to Team Mexico, Nacho Alvarez Jr. showed it as he rounded the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning.
The Mexican American from Fontana, Calif., was overcome with pure joy. He hopped around, pumped his fists, pounded his chest repeatedly and roared while rejoicing. It was as though he had just hit a walk-off home run in the World Series instead of an early blast in the opener of Pool B play.
‘An honor to represent’ Mexico
“I really blacked out when I hit it,” said Alvarez, whose given name is Ignacio Alvarez Jr. “I just think it’s an honor to represent this country. It means the world to my parents. I want to represent this country how they would. Whatever it takes to win these games, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
Alvarez’s father Ignacio Alvarez Sr. immigrated to the United States from Jalisco, Mexico. His mother Maria Alvarez immigrated from Hermosillo. Nacho’s parents are expected to arrive in Houston later this weekend to see the 22-year-old Braves prospect play in the WBC.
Aranda matched Alvarez’s energy as adrenaline overcame him after he hit the defining three-run home run in Mexico’s 8-2 victory over Great Britain.
“I even surprised myself,” Aranda said of his celebration. “It was a very exciting home run. The game was tied, and fortunately that hit was the one that helped the whole team. It’s not just the team. It’s the whole country. We are playing for our (flag’s) colors, and truly I’m very excited.”
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A few minutes later, Vicente Fernandez’s classic “El Rey” played on the public address system before the bottom of the eighth inning, eliciting howls, whistles and gritos from the crowd of 29,724.
They may not have a throne, nor a queen, as the classic Mexican song says, but they definitely had an All-Star slugger from Tijuana. Actually, Team Mexico has two All-Stars who grew up together in Tijuana dreaming of representing Mexico one day.
Toronto Blue Jays All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk guided the pitching staff, and his former youth teammate Aranda help Mexico take control and win a WBC opener for the first time.
Breaking it open
With two outs in the top of the eighth inning, Jarren Duran drew a walk. Randy Arozarena followed with another walk. Aranda, who hit a career-high 14 home runs with a .316 batting average during his breakout All-Star season last year with the Rays, took care of the rest.
Aranda popped a fly ball the other way, just far enough to clear the wall in left field as the pro-Mexico crowd erupted.
Alek Thomas added a two-run single up the middle in the ninth. Shortstop Joey Ortiz, who wowed the crowd with two impressive defensive plays in the eighth inning, drove in Thomas with a double to right field. One out later, Arozarena hit an RBI single to right to cap the scoring.
“Truly for me, all of us who are here for us much as they may say Mexican Americans, we’re all Mexicans,” said All-Star closer Andres Muñoz who pitched the ninth. “Truly, being on this team and wearing the Mexican uniform as authentic Mexicans, so it gives me a lot of joy for all of us and for (Alvarez) who felt the adrenaline to celebrate that home run.”
Glove work
Outside of Alvarez and Aranda’s blasts, Arozarena garnered the loudest ovation when he threw out Matt Koperniak at home to end the sixth inning and keep the score tied at 1.
Harry Ford had tied the score at 1 with a solo home run in the sixth. One out later, Great Britain drew consecutive two-out walks. Ivan Johnson followed with a single to Arozarena in shallow left field. Arozarena then threw home to Kirk, nailing Koperniak with ease.
By then, you could hear some fans in the crowd trying to start a rendition of Cielito Lindo.
“It felt as though it was full of Mexicans,” Aranda said of the crowd. “All the love from the fans for us was very beautiful. We felt it. The gave us the push to keep going forward. Clearly, all the guys here, Nacho and all the guys who are here are carrying the colors with a lot of pride. That’s why they are here.”
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer Jose de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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