USA edges Dominican Republic 2-1 to reach WBC final
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Team USA edged the Dominican Republic 2-1 in a WBC semifinal before a pro-Dominican crowd in Miami, advancing to Tuesday's championship game against the winner of Monday's Venezuela-Italy clash.
- Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, delivered 4⅓ innings of one-run ball, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and holding what the source calls "arguably the best [Dominican] lineup ever assembled" to a Junior Caminero solo homer in the second.
- Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony each hit clutch home runs to account for Team USA's offense in the one-run victory.
- Julio Rodriguez was hit on the right hand by a 98 mph fastball, then robbed Aaron Judge of a potential home run in center field — one of several defensive plays that proved decisive in the tightly matched game.
- Aaron Judge threw out Fernando Tatis Jr. attempting to go first to third, ending an inning with Juan Soto on deck, while Bobby Witt Jr. ranged deep into the hole to retire Manny Machado at short.
- The game ended on a called strike three by home plate umpire Cory Blaser on a Mason Miller slider that ESPN's Jeff Passan says was clearly below the zone — a finish Passan called "a gut punch" to a game that "deserved better" and one that reignited debate over the ABS (automated ball-strike) system.
Why it matters: Team USA's narrow win over what the source calls "arguably the best Dominican lineup ever assembled" punches their ticket to Tuesday's WBC final, with Skenes validating his status as the rotation anchor in what the article calls his most important professional start. The controversial called strike three on a Mason Miller slider Passan says was clearly below the zone gives the ABS debate fresh ammunition in the sport's biggest showcase event.
Ask SkimNews
