Team USA Defeats Dominican Republic 2 to 1 in World Baseball Classic Semifinal as Mason Miller Sends United States to Championship Game

The United States advanced to the World Baseball Classic championship game Sunday night after closer Mason Millersecured a tense 2 to 1 victory over the Dominican Republic national baseball team at LoanDepot Park in Miami.

The latest tournament update came after a dramatic ninth inning ended with a controversial strike call that sealed the result and sent United States national baseball team to the final round of the international tournament.

With two outs in the ninth inning and the Dominican Republic trailing by one run, Julio Rodríguez worked a walk against Miller and advanced to second on a passed ball before moving to third on a groundout. Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo then battled through a full count and fouled off two fastballs that reached 101 miles per hour. The next pitch, a slider that appeared below the strike zone, was called a strike by home plate umpire Cory Blaser, ending the game and eliminating the Dominican Republic.

Perdomo reacted immediately while the United States celebrated on the mound. The Dominican lineup still had Fernando Tatis Jr. scheduled to bat next, which added to the tension surrounding the final call.

Dominican manager Albert Pujols chose not to focus publicly on the decision following the game, instead emphasizing the quality of play and national pride displayed throughout the tournament.

“This has been a tremendous game between two tremendous teams,” Pujols said after the loss. “I feel incredibly grateful for the players who represented our country.”

The semifinal matchup was widely considered one of the most anticipated games of the tournament. Combined, the rosters for the United States and the Dominican Republic featured 25 players ranked among the top 100 in professional baseball. The starting lineups entering the game included a combined 56 Major League Baseball All Star selections, 31 Silver Slugger Awards, nine Gold Gloves, and five Most Valuable Player awards.

The pitching duel began with Paul Skenes starting for Team USA against Dominican right hander Luis Severino. The Dominican Republic struck first in the second inning when Junior Caminero launched a 401 foot home run off Skenes. The blast was Caminero’s fifteenth of the tournament, setting a new World Baseball Classic record for home runs.

Team USA answered in the fourth inning. Gunnar Henderson, inserted into the lineup after replacing Alex Bregman due to favorable matchup data against Severino, tied the game with a towering drive. Moments later, outfielder Roman Anthony delivered another long home run to give the United States a 2 to 1 lead.

Anthony joined the roster late after Corbin Carroll suffered a broken hamate bone earlier in the tournament, making his contribution one of the key storyline developments for Team USA.

Defense then defined much of the remaining game. Team captain Aaron Judge threw out Tatis attempting to advance from first to third in the third inning, preventing a potential scoring opportunity. In the sixth inning, Bobby Witt Jr.made a diving stop deep in the infield before throwing out Manny Machado at first base, one of several standout defensive plays by the American shortstop during the tournament.

Rodríguez delivered a highlight of his own in the fifth inning. After being hit by a 98 mile per hour fastball earlier in the game, the Dominican star sprinted to the center field wall and leaped to rob Judge of a potential home run, a play that drew recognition even from the opposing dugout.

The Dominican offense entered the semifinal as the most productive lineup in the tournament, scoring 51 runs during its first five games. However, Skenes and the United States bullpen limited the damage throughout the night. Skenes allowed only the Caminero home run in four and one third innings before handing the game to a deep relief group.

Right hander Tyler Rogers replaced Skenes and induced a key double play from Juan Soto to escape the fifth inning. In the seventh, reliever David Bednar stranded runners at second and third by striking out Tatis and Ketel Marte, preserving the narrow lead.

Miller then entered for the ninth inning and recorded the final outs despite the tense finish.

United States manager Mark DeRosa described the semifinal as one of the highest quality games of the tournament. DeRosa confirmed that pitching prospect Nolan McLean is expected to start for Team USA in the championship game.

The controversy surrounding the final pitch also renewed discussion about the automated ball strike system. Major League Baseball plans to introduce a challenge based version of the technology during the 2026 season, but the system was not installed at every venue hosting the international tournament. As a result it was not available for the World Baseball Classic.

Players from both teams acknowledged the situation as part of the sport’s long history of human officiating.

The impact of the result sends the United States into the championship game with momentum and a deep pitching staff that has successfully navigated high pressure elimination rounds. The Dominican Republic exits the tournament after one of the most explosive offensive runs in World Baseball Classic history.

The United States will now await the winner of the semifinal matchup between the Italy national baseball team and the Venezuela national baseball team to determine its opponent in the final.

The championship game will conclude one of the most competitive editions of the World Baseball Classic, with global attention on the next steps for Team USA as it attempts to secure another international title.