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WHO:

United States baseball team

Dominican Republic baseball team

Paul Skenes, NL Cy Young Award winner

Bryce Harper, All-Star player

Aaron Judge, three-time MVP and captain of Team USA

Junior Caminero, player for the Dominican Republic

Albert Pujols, manager of the Dominican Republic

Mason Miller, closer for Team USA

Bobby Witt Jr., shortstop for Team USA

Roman Anthony, player for Team USA

Geraldo Perdomo, player for the Dominican Republic

WHAT:

The United States baseball team will play in the championship game on March 17th, 2026, against the winner of the semifinal between Italy and Venezuela.

Aaron Judge stated, "It was bigger and better than the World Series," regarding the atmosphere of the World Baseball Classic.

Junior Caminero hit a solo home run off Paul Skenes in the second inning, marking the Dominican Republic's 15th home run of the tournament, surpassing the previous record set by Mexico in 2009.

Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols said, "Skenes is one of the best pitchers, if not the best in the game," before the semifinal.

Paul Skenes' final pitching line was 4 1/3 innings pitched, allowing one run on six hits.

The Dominican Republic averaged 10.3 runs per game prior to the semifinal match.

The game ended with Geraldo Perdomo striking out looking on a pitch that was deemed to be below the strike zone, which sparked debate on social media.

Umpire Cory Blaser made a controversial call on the final pitch, which was described by Alex Rodriguez as "a ball that’s about four inches down."

The Dominican Republic's Junior Caminero finished the tournament with a batting average of .350.

The game featured home runs by Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony.

The United States advanced to the WBC championship game for the third consecutive time.

The game was played in front of a sellout crowd of 36,337 at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

The United States baseball team defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the World Baseball Classic semifinal on March 15th, 2026.

The U.S. will play in the championship game on March 17th, 2026, against the winner of the semifinal between Italy and Venezuela.

Junior Caminero's home run in the second inning was the Dominican Republic's 15th home run of the tournament, setting a new record.

Aaron Judge stated, "This is what you dream about as a kid," regarding the experience of playing in the World Baseball Classic.

Mason Miller earned his second save of the tournament by striking out Geraldo Perdomo in the ninth inning.

The game was played in front of a sellout crowd of 36,337 at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

Paul Skenes pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits, and is now 2-0 in the tournament.

The Dominican Republic averaged 10.3 runs per game prior to the semifinal match.

Dominican manager Albert Pujols stated, "I’m not going to criticize any of that. It wasn’t meant to be," regarding the controversial final call of the game.

Umpire Cory Blaser made a controversial call on the final pitch, which was described by Alex Rodriguez as "a ball that’s about four inches down."

The Dominican Republic's Junior Caminero finished the tournament with a batting average of .350.

Junior Caminero hit a solo home run in the second inning, marking his tournament batting average at .350.

The United States will face the winner of the semifinal between Italy and Venezuela in the championship game on March 17th, 2026.

Aaron Judge stated, "It was bigger and better than the World Series," regarding the atmosphere of the World Baseball Classic.

Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols said, "Skenes is one of the best pitchers, if not the best in the game," before the semifinal.

Paul Skenes' final pitching line was 4 1/3 innings pitched, allowing one run on six hits.

Mason Miller's save in the game was his second of the tournament.

The Dominican Republic's Junior Caminero hit the team's 15th home run of the tournament, setting a new record.

The game ended with Geraldo Perdomo striking out looking on a pitch that was deemed to be below the strike zone, which sparked debate on social media.

Umpire Cory Blaser made a controversial call on the final pitch, which was described by Alex Rodriguez as "a ball that’s about four inches down."

The Dominican Republic averaged 10.3 runs per game prior to the semifinal match.

The Dominican Republic's Junior Caminero hit a solo home run in the second inning, marking the team's record 15 home runs in the tournament, surpassing the previous record set by Mexico in 2009.

The game ended with Mason Miller striking out Geraldo Perdomo, leaving Julio Rodríguez stranded on third base.

The Dominican Republic averaged 10.3 runs per game prior to this semifinal.

The final at-bat of the game was controversial, as Geraldo Perdomo struck out looking on a pitch that was deemed to be below the strike zone, which sparked debate on social media.

Dominican manager Albert Pujols stated, "I’m not going to criticize any of that. It wasn’t meant to be," regarding the controversial call that ended the game.

The United States defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the World Baseball Classic semifinal.

The game featured home runs by Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony.

The United States advanced to the WBC championship game for the third consecutive time.

The Dominican Republic hit a record 15 home runs in the tournament.

The game was played in front of a sellout crowd of 36,337 at loanDepot Park.

Paul Skenes pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits.

Mason Miller earned his second save by striking out Geraldo Perdomo.

The Dominican Republic produced eight hits but failed to score after the second inning.

WHERE:

The game took place at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

WHEN:

The semifinal game occurred on March 15th, 2026.

The championship game is scheduled for March 17th, 2026.

WHY:

The United States aimed to capture its second World Baseball Classic championship after winning in 2017 and losing in 2023.

The Dominican Republic sought to return to the championship after winning the title in 2013.

HOW:

Umpire Cory Blaser made a controversial call on the final pitch, which was described as "a ball that’s about four inches down" according to Alex Rodriguez, a broadcaster for FOX Sports.

The United States utilized strong pitching from Paul Skenes and the bullpen to limit the Dominican Republic's scoring opportunities.

The U.S. scored both of its runs in the fourth inning with back-to-back home runs.

(UPDATED March 17, 2026 01:26 UTC)

Today, the United States baseball team is set to compete in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against the winner of the semifinal between Italy and Venezuela. In a thrilling semifinal, the Dominican Republic's Junior Caminero hit a solo home run, bringing their tournament total to 15 home runs and breaking the previous record set by Mexico in 2009, despite a controversial final pitch call that left fans buzzing on social media. The game, held at loanDepot Park in Miami, attracted a sellout crowd of 36,337, as the United States advanced to the championship for the third consecutive time.

(UPDATED March 16, 2026 23:07 UTC)

In a thrilling semifinal match of the World Baseball Classic last Monday, the United States baseball team triumphed over the Dominican Republic with a score of 2 to 1, securing their spot in the championship game on March 17 against the winner of Italy and Venezuela. Junior Caminero hit a home run in the second inning, marking the Dominican Republic's 15th home run of the tournament, which set a new record, while U.S. pitcher Paul Skenes improved his tournament record to 2-0 after allowing just one run over 4 and a third innings. The game, attended by a sellout crowd of 36,337 at loanDepot Park in Miami, featured a controversial final call by umpire Cory Blaser, which Dominican manager Albert Pujols addressed by saying, "It wasn’t meant to be."

(UPDATED March 16, 2026 19:19 UTC)

In a thrilling semifinal of the World Baseball Classic, Junior Caminero hit a solo home run in the second inning, bringing his tournament batting average to .350 and marking the Dominican Republic's 15th home run of the tournament, a new record. The game concluded with a controversial strikeout of Geraldo Perdomo, which sparked debate over umpire Cory Blaser's final pitch call, described by Alex Rodriguez as "a ball that’s about four inches down." The United States is set to face the winner of the semifinal between Italy and Venezuela in the championship game tomorrow, March 17th, 2026.

(UPDATED March 16, 2026 13:20 UTC)

In a thrilling semifinal match, the Dominican Republic's Junior Caminero hit a solo home run in the second inning, setting a new tournament record with 15 home runs, surpassing Mexico's previous record from 2009. The game concluded with Mason Miller striking out Geraldo Perdomo, leaving Julio Rodríguez stranded on third base, but the final at-bat sparked controversy as many felt the last pitch was below the strike zone. Dominican manager Albert Pujols addressed the situation, stating, "I’m not going to criticize any of that. It wasn’t meant to be," as discussions about the umpire's call continued to circulate on social media.

(UPDATED March 16, 2026 11:16 UTC)

In a thrilling semifinal at loanDepot Park in Miami, the United States baseball team edged out the Dominican Republic 2-1 to advance to the World Baseball Classic championship game for the third consecutive time. The U.S. scored both of its runs in the fourth inning with back-to-back home runs from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony, while Paul Skenes delivered a solid performance on the mound, allowing just one run over 4 and a third innings. The Dominican Republic, despite hitting a record 15 home runs in the tournament, could only muster eight hits in this game and failed to score after the second inning.