USA Overcomes Dominican Republic in Exciting Match to Reach WBC Final

MIAMI — The United States secured a narrow 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic in a thrilling semifinal match on Sunday, advancing to the World Baseball Classic championship for the third consecutive time. The win was highlighted by home runs from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony, who propelled the U.S. team within one game of capturing their second title.

The American squad, bolstered by National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes as well as high-profile players like Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge, reached the final after previously winning the tournament in 2017 and finishing as runners-up to Japan in 2023. They will now face the winner of Monday’s semifinal between Italy and Venezuela, scheduled to play in Tuesday’s title game.

For the Dominican Republic, this semifinal marked their first appearance since clinching the WBC championship in 2013. However, falling short of the final was not in line with the ambitions of a team featuring six players who were top candidates for last year’s MVP title, having dominated the early rounds of this year’s tournament.

Facing Skenes, who allowed only one run and six hits over 4 ⅓ innings, the Dominicans encountered their most challenging matchup yet. The U.S. bullpen maintained the lead, keeping the Dominican offense scoreless for the remainder of the game.

In the ninth inning, the Dominican Republic threatened to tie the game when Julio Rodríguez walked and advanced to third against Mason Miller. However, Miller secured the win by striking out Geraldo Perdomo, earning his second save.

The game saw Junior Caminero hit a solo homer off Skenes in the second inning, bringing the Dominican Republic to a tournament record of 15 home runs, surpassing the previous mark set by Mexico in 2009. Caminero concluded the tournament with an impressive batting average of .350.

The match showcased remarkable plays from both teams. Judge initiated a pivotal defensive moment in the third inning by throwing out Fernando Tatis Jr. at third base with a powerful 95.7-mph throw. However, in a twist, Rodríguez later scaled the center-field wall in the fifth inning to rob Judge of a potential home run after being hit by a fastball from Skenes just an inning before.

Henderson, filling in for Alex Bregman at third base, brought the game even with a homer off Luis Severino in the fourth inning. The decisive blow came from Anthony, who hit a go-ahead homer on a 3-2 sinker from Gregory Soto, sealing the victory for the U.S.