March 15, 2026

Gelof leads Israel past Netherlands in 6-2 victory to end WBC on a high note

By Chase Levitt, Israel Baseball News Staff

Third baseman Jake Gelof was the hero for Team Israel (2-2) in its final 2026 World Baseball Classic contest on Tuesday, a 6-2 win over the Netherlands (1-3).

The game tied was tied 2-2 with two outs in the top of the sixth and the bases loaded when Gelof hit a grounder that snuck through the left-infield gap, giving Israel a 4-2 lead. The next batter, first baseman Matt Mervis, doubled down the left field line to clear the bases, giving Israel a commanding 6-2 lead .

Israel never looked back from there, getting 4 shutout innings from quartet of bullpen arms.

That sixth inning was a turning point, as the Netherlands had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. With runners on the corners and no outs, Xander Bogaerts hit a weak ground ball to the second baseman. The fielder tried to turn a double play, but runners beat the throws at both second and first, producing no outs and scoring the Netherlands’ first run.

Two batters later, the both runners advanced on a double steal, and Didi Gregorius hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score the second run.

Israel immediately responded in the next frame. With Noah Mendlinger on first, Gelof laced a two-out double to right center field. Mendlinger, who was already advancing on a hit-and-run attempt, made it all the way around the bases and cut the Israel deficit to one run.

The Blue and White seemed poised to tie the game with two outs in the top of the third. With a full count and a runner on first, center fielder RJ Schreck hit a shallow fly ball to right field that appeared likely to drop. But Netherlands right fielder Drew Jones made a sensational diving grab, ending the threat.

Israel then tied and took over the game in the sixth. Leading off, second baseman Spencer Horwitz singled up the middle. Pinch hitter Garrett Stubbs then hit a sharp grounder down the first base line that the fielder could not cleanly snare, a costly error that put runners on the corners with no outs. Center fielder RJ Schreck followed with an RBI single to right, scoring Horowitz to tie the game. Two batters later, after a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, shortstop Cole Carrigg hit a sharp grounder down the first base line. But the infield was playing in and guarding the lines, and a throw home easily beat the runner for a tag out.

It looked like the Jew Crew might have to settle for just the single run, until Netherlands pitcher Kevin Kelly walked Mendlinger, setting the stage for Gelof’s go-ahead hit.

Things got rocky in the bottom of the eighth. Veteran MLB reliever Tommy Kahnle entered the game and immediately walked the first batter. Two hitters later, Bogaerts singled on a soft line drive to right field, putting runners on first and second with just one out. But the crafty righty settled down, recording a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat. 

Israel almost added one more insurance run in the ninth inning. Mervis led off the frame with a double to center field—his second of the night—and a CJ Stubbs sacrifice bunt sent Mervis to third, but, a hard grounder to the pitcher put Mervis in a pickle, and he was tagged out on the basepaths.

Ben Simon entered the ninth in relief to seal the Israeli victory, but he got into trouble, giving up three walks to load the bases with two outs. With Israeli fans holding their breath, Simon pulled through, striking out Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela to end the game.

With the win, Israel ends pool play ranked third in Pool D, behind only the Dominican Republic (3-0) and Venezuela (3-0). The Blue and White had previously secured a spot in the next edition of the World Baseball Classic with Sunday’s victory over Nicaragua. Notching a second win is not purely symbolic, however, as the second win moves Israel from 14th place to 10th in the overall tournament rankings. The final standings of the World Baseball Classic will factor into Israel Baseball’s World Ranking.