Team USA advanced to the 2026 World Baseball Classic final with a 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic in a tense semifinal at loanDepot park in Miami. Paul Skenes pitched 4 1/3 innings for the win, allowing one run on Junior Caminero's home run. The game featured standout defensive plays and ended on a disputed called strikeout.
The semifinal drew 36,337 fans to a raucous loanDepot park on Sunday night. Team USA scored solo home runs from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony, while the Dominican Republic tied the World Baseball Classic record—and then broke it—with 15 home runs in the tournament, Caminero's second-inning blast off Skenes being the 15th and providing their lone run in this game. Skenes allowed just that one run over 4 1/3 innings with two strikeouts, showing maturity amid the pressure, according to Team USA manager Mark DeRosa: “Special presence. Special man. Wants the moment.” Pittsburgh-connected relievers David Bednar and Mason Miller closed out the game, with Miller earning the save on two strikeouts, including the final out against Geraldo Perdomo on a disputed called third strike below the zone. Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols declined to criticize the call: “I don’t want to focus on the last pitch... It wasn’t meant to be.” Key defensive moments included Aaron Judge's 95.7 mph throw to nail Fernando Tatis Jr. at third base, Bobby Witt Jr.'s 4-3 double play to end the fifth with Juan Soto at bat, and Julio Rodríguez's wall catch robbing Judge of a potential home run. David Bednar struck out Tatis and Ketel Marte in the seventh to escape a jam with runners on second and third. The Dominican Republic went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners, including Austin Wells left at third in the seventh. Skenes, conversing post-game with Clayton Kershaw, expressed a desire to bring WBC-level excitement to Pittsburgh: “It’s definitely something I want to bring to Pittsburgh.” Team USA faces the winner of Italy-Venezuela on Tuesday.
