We were expecting a terrific game and we got it. We were expecting a slugfest and we got a pitcher’s duel. It also ended on a terrible call.
Team USA hit two solo home runs and Team Dominican Republic only had one as the United States advanced to the World Baseball Classic with a 2-1 win.
Paul Skenes started for Team USA and the Dominican Republic countered with Luis Severino. The Dominican Republic drew first blood on this 401- foot home run by Junior Caminero. [VIDEO]
It’s
amazing how Caminero pulled a pitch that was on the corner, up and away.
Team USA put runners on second and third with one out in the top of the third after Bobby Witt Jr. walked and Bryce Harper doubled. But Severino struck out both Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber to end the threat. [VIDEO]
The Dominican Republic had another rally going in the third inning, but Aaron Judge threw this strike to Gunnar Henderson to nail Fernando Tatis Jr. trying to go from first to third. [VIDEO]
Team USA finally got to Severino in the fourth inning. First, Gunnar Henderson led off the inning with a home run. [VIDEO]
After Will Smith lined out, Dominican manager Albert Pujols pulled Severino for Gregory Soto. Roman Anthony greeted him with this 421-foot blast [VIDEO] to make it 2-1.
Skenes pitched 4.1 innings and allowed one run on six hits. He struck out two and walked no one.
Team USA almost made it 3-1 in the fifth inning when Aaron Judge connected off of Rockies reliever Juan Mejia. But Julio Rodríguez had other ideas and made a fantastic catch in center field, possibly stealing a home run. [VIDEO]
The Dominican Republic got a rally going in the seventh inning off of David Bednar. Austin Wells doubled with one out and then Geraldo Perdomo singled to center field. However, the slow-footed catcher stopped at third base. Perdomo then stole second base but with runners on second and third and one out, Bednar struck out Tatis and Ketel Marte to end the threat. [VIDEO]
Team USA did not have another hit after a Kyle Schwarber single in the fifth. So it came down to the ninth when the Dominican Republic had to score off of Mason Miller. Miller struck out Caminero to start the frame but then walked Junior Caminero. A wild pitch and an Oneil Cruz ground out to first put the tying run on third with two outs.
Miller got the count to 1-2 on Geraldo Perdomo before missing the zone with a fastball and a slider. So with a 3-2 count, Perdomo fouled off two 101 mile per hour fastballs before taking this slider down low. [VIDEO]
It’s a shame that pitch was called a strike and for an all-time classic contest to end on a bad call by the umpire. But there’s no ABS system in the WBC, so that’s how the game ended.
Later today, at 7 p.m. CT, Venezuela takes on Italy for the other spot in the WBC final. Michael Lorenzen is scheduled to start for Italy and Tigers pitcher Keider Montero is pencilled in for Venezuela. The game will be broadcast of FS1. We will, of course, have a game thread here later today for this semifinal game.
