Sports
Takeaways from Team USA’s WBC win over Dominican Republic
The first World Baseball Classic semifinal is in the books, with Team USA edging the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the matchup many had been dreaming about since the start of the WBC.
Ace Paul Skenes delivered a strong outing, Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony each hit clutch home runs, and a slew of stellar defensive plays and gutsy relief moments pushed the United States to Tuesday’s championship game, where the winner of Monday’s Venezuela-Italy clash will await.
How did the U.S. get it done? Here are our takeaways and updates from a thrilling night of baseball in Miami.
Takeaways
Paul Skenes really is that guy. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner wasn’t exactly dominant. Junior Caminero crushed a 1-2 slider to open the scoring in the second inning for his third home run of the tournament. Skenes escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. He exited the game with two runners on base in the fifth. But he held the powerful Dominican lineup — arguably the best one ever assembled — to one run over 4⅓ innings in front of a pro-Dominican crowd. It was Skenes’ most important start since turning professional, and he met the moment. — Jorge Castillo
In a game of star pitchers and elite hitters, it was the defense that stood out. Julio Rodriguez was hit on his right hand by a 98 mph fastball, then robbed Aaron Judge of a potential home run in center field. Judge threw out Fernando Tatis Jr., who was trying to go first to third on a single, to end the inning with Juan Soto next to bat. And Bobby Witt Jr. went deep into the hole to field a grounder from Manny Machado and throw him out, one of several spectacular defensive plays turned in by the young Kansas City Royals shortstop in this tournament. In a game like this, with the rosters so closely matched and the fans so amped, that type of defense made all the difference. — Alden Gonzalez
That was a wonderful baseball game. Tension. Drama. Passion. Pride. Everything baseball can be. Everything you want baseball to be. So, for it to end on a called strike three by home plate umpire Cory Blaser on a Mason Miller slider that was clearly below the zone was such a gut punch, not just to the Dominican Republic players, whose country cares more about the WBC than any, but to a game that deserved better. ABS cannot come soon enough because this should be about the quality of the game, which was tremendous, and not the bitter taste left due to human fallibility. — Jeff Passan