Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the first grand slam in Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic history to lead his team to a 10-1 victory over Israel. The win advanced the Dominican Republic to the quarterfinals with a perfect 3-0 record in Pool D. Israel's loss eliminated them from further play.
In a dominant performance at loanDepot park in Miami, the Dominican Republic secured their spot in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals with a 10-1 win over Israel on Monday. Fernando Tatis Jr. was the standout, delivering a grand slam in the second inning off Israel starter Ryan Prager, marking the first such hit by a Dominican player in Classic history. Tatis added a two-run single in the seventh, setting a team record with six RBIs and tying the second-most RBIs in a single WBC game.
Starter Brayan Bello pitched brilliantly for the Dominican Republic, allowing just one hit—a solo home run by Spencer Horwitz—over five innings while striking out seven. Oneil Cruz contributed with a 115.8 mph home run in the fourth inning, helping the team reach nine homers in the tournament, matching their record from 2006 and 2017.
The victory improved the Dominican Republic to 3-0 and also clinched a quarterfinal berth for Venezuela. Israel finished Pool D at 1-2 and was eliminated. Manager Albert Pujols emphasized focus ahead, saying, “Our whole team understands our goal is to win this tournament. It's not going to be easy.” Tatis reflected, “Being able to do that for the Dominican Republic, it means everything to me.” Israel's Brad Ausmus acknowledged the defeat: “It's never fun to get your butt kicked.”
The Dominican Republic faces Venezuela on Wednesday, a matchup that will determine their quarterfinal opponent, with the loser drawing defending champion Japan.
