Team USA advances to World Baseball Classic final after win over Dominican Republic

Team USA is headed backmost to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final, arsenic they toppled the Dominican Republic, 2-1, successful a thriller successful Miami connected Sunday night. 

The U.S., who fell to Japan successful the WBC last successful 2023, volition look for redemption against either Venezuela oregon Italy, who play their semifinal matchup connected Monday night.

The hype and hysteria coming into this contention betwixt 2 satellite shot powerhouses lived up to it each contempt what the container people said. Both teams came successful clutch during cardinal moments, portion matching the raucous vigor of the crowd. 

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Roman Anthony of Team United States runs astir the bases aft hitting a solo location tally against Team Dominican Republic during the 4th inning astatine loanDepot parkland connected March 15, 2026 successful Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Of course, the Dominican Republic dugout and faithful went ballistic erstwhile Junior Caminero, the 22-year-old Tampa Bay Rays rising star, belted a hanging breaking shot from Skenes successful the bottommost of the 2nd inning with 2 strikes. The shot was pelted to near tract astatine implicit 400 feet, and their patented solemnisation ensued. 

The D.R. got the archetypal onslaught disconnected Skenes, who had been looking guardant to this commencement against a lineup littered with immoderate of the champion shot players successful MLB. But 2 innings later, it was Team USA’s ain young stars who turned the crippled astir successful their favor. 

Gunnar Henderson, who manager Mark DeRosa chose to play astatine 3rd base, his secondary presumption arsenic a shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, implicit Alex Bregman, 1 of the champion antiaircraft players astatine the blistery country successful MLB, owed to however good helium deed Luis Severino. The seasoned right-hander was amped for his commencement for the D.R., and his emotion showed it. 

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However, DeRosa’s determination came down to however overmuch occurrence Henderson had against Severino. The determination paid off, arsenic Henderson deed a satellite changeable implicit the right-center tract obstruction to necktie the crippled astatine 1 apiece. 

Severino was pulled aft 1 much batter for Gregory Soto, who was facing Boston Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony, the 21-year-old who has had a large archetypal quality successful the WBC. After moving the number full, Anthony took vantage of a fastball close down the middle, launching it implicit the halfway tract partition to instrumentality a 2-1 lead. 

Paul Skenes of Team United States reacts aft giving up a location tally to Junior Caminero #13 (not pictured) of Team Dominican Republic during the 2nd inning astatine loanDepot parkland connected March 15, 2026 successful Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The full American dugout was connected the field, arsenic Anthony motioned crossed his chest, showing disconnected his pridefulness arsenic helium celebrated with teammates. 

It was conscionable what Team USA needed successful the apical of the 4th inning, particularly aft having runners astatine 2nd and 3rd with 1 retired successful the erstwhile framework and not being capable to get runs across. Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber some struck retired to extremity the inning, which fired up Severino who screamed toward Team USA’s dugout. 

But Judge intelligibly fto that spell from his head, arsenic helium had a important antiaircraft play successful the bottommost of the 3rd inning erstwhile helium gunned down Fernando Tatis Jr. trying to spell from archetypal basal to third. Tatis, who is simply a accelerated runner, was retired by a mile, with Judge proving his elbow, which caused issues successful 2025, is much than good heading into the 2026 season. 

The Dominicans yet chased Skenes from the crippled aft 4.1 innings, arsenic his last enactment work six hits, 1 earned tally connected the Caminero homer and 2 strikeouts. Severino lasted 3.1 innings, giving up 5 hits portion striking retired six Team USA hitters successful an awesome outing that saw triple-digit fastballs connected the radar gun. 

Luis Severino of Team Dominican Republic reacts aft striking retired Kyle Schwarber #12 (not pictured) of Team United States to extremity the 3rd inning astatine loanDepot parkland connected March 15, 2026 successful Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The U.S. knew a 2-1 pb was not enough, but arsenic the Dominican bullpen continued to stifle their bats, and Julio Rodriguez appeared to rob a location tally from Judge, they needed their ain relievers to travel through. After Tyler Rogers and Griffin Jax did their jobs, David Bednar recovered himself successful immoderate occupation with runners connected 2nd and 3rd with 1 retired – the aforesaid concern Judge and Schwarber recovered themselves successful – successful the bottommost of the seventh. 

But Bednar, who escaped a akin concern against Canada successful the quarterfinals, struck retired Tatis and Ketel Marte to get retired of the jam and support the people the same. 

Garrett Whitlock was coagulated successful the eighth inning to support the one-run pb alive, which led for the easiest determination for DeRosa connected the night: Mason Miller to transportation the ninth. 

The San Diego Padres All-Star person got a strikeout to commencement the inning, but things got absorbing erstwhile helium walked Rodriguez and Will Smith couldn't grip a transportation from Miller that allowed a escaped walk to 2nd base. 

Gunnar Henderson of Team USA rounds the bases aft hitting a solo location tally successful the 4th inning of the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC crippled presented by Capital One betwixt Team USA and Team Dominican Republic astatine loanDepot parkland connected Sunday, March 15, 2026 successful Miami, Florida. (Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos)

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Oneil Cruz moved Rodriguez to 3rd connected a groundnut to Bobby Witt Jr., leaving Geraldo Perdomo arsenic the D.R.'s past hope. He had a clutch at-bat earlier successful the game, 1 that could've tied it up if Wells work the enactment thrust to halfway tract amended from 2nd base. 

But Miller got Perdomo looking connected a 3-2 slider astatine the bottommost of the portion to unafraid Team USA's spot successful the WBC final.

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