MIAMI — Two hours after a blown ball-strike call ended the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic, players emerged from the team’s clubhouse with smiles, music and a message.

The smiles covered the pain of the 2-1 loss Sunday night that sent Team USA to the WBC final, the music followed them as they walked down the hall at LoanDepot Park and to the team bus, and the message came from star Juan Soto, who preferred to look at the whole of the tournament rather than its final game.

“We showed the world who’s the best team in baseball,” Soto told ESPN. “That’s all I got to say.”

Soto’s frustration, as well as his teammates’, was palpable after home-plate umpire Cory Blaser called a full-count slider from U.S. closer Mason Miller for a strike against D.R. shortstop Geraldo Perdomo despite the pitch being clearly below the zone. The call came one inning after Soto was caught looking on a slider that was also below the zone, though not to the extent of Perdomo, who had worked a brilliant seven-pitch at-bat before the eighth ended the Dominicans’ dreams of bringing home a WBC championship.

“I knew 100% it was a ball,” Perdomo told ESPN. “I knew it.”

While the Americans celebrated what otherwise was a taut, tense and elite display of baseball between the two most talented countries in the world, the ending left a sour taste for Dominicans to whom the WBC is of Olympic-level importance. Even more frustrating was that the automated ball-strike challenge system — which will debut in Major League Baseball this season to address such blown calls — is not being used in the WBC.

In 2023, the year the pitch clock was introduced in MLB, the WBC did not implement it, either. For ABS to work accurately in MLB this season, the league took measurements of each player’s height to assign a proper strike zone. Doing so for the WBC would have necessitated measurements for players from all 20 countries in the tournament as well as the implementation of the system used to call it in Japan and Puerto Rico.

“It’s part of the game,” Dominican Republic general manager Nelson Cruz told ESPN. “You lost by inches. We’ll have ABS in a few years, so hopefully next time we can challenge plays like that.

“This event is really good for baseball. You have regular fans that love the game — and you have people who don’t pay attention and you’re attracting them.”

The attention has been significant, particularly on a Dominican team teeming with stars and even more with energy and excitement. The D.R. broke the WBC record for home runs in one tournament when Junior Caminero took U.S. ace Paul Skenes deep for a 1-0 lead. The U.S. clawed back with home runs from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony. And the game turned over to the bullpens, with Team USA’s power relief pitching shutting down a Dominican team that had dominated through pool play and a quarterfinal win.

The crowd of 36,337, strongly pro-Dominican, booed the blown third-strike call on Soto and caterwauled at the one against Perdomo, with him telling Blaser — who otherwise called a consistent and strong game behind home plate — that the umpire knew it was a ball.

“It was a lot,” said Perdomo, who had taken a slider similar to the blown call for a ball earlier in the count and also fouled off consecutive 101 mph two-strike pitches to stay alive. “It was the whole tournament, but we didn’t lose the game right there. That’s a part of the game, and I hope we do better next time.”

Next time could come in the Olympics, if Major League Baseball and the players can strike a deal to allow big leaguers to play in the Los Angeles Games in 2028. The next WBC has not been scheduled, but the success has delighted players and MLB officials.

Team USA will face the winner of Monday’s semifinal between Italy and Venezuela in Tuesday’s WBC final.

The top of the odds board for the men’s college basketball national championship will feature several blue bloods as it heads into March Madness.

Duke is the favorite to win the NCAA tournament with +330 odds, followed closely by Michigan at +350. Arizona (+400) and Florida (+700) are the other 1-seeds, and Houston (10-1), Iowa State (15-1) and Illinois (19-1) round out the teams shorter than 20-1.

Purdue and UConn at 30-1 and 35-1, respectively, represent two of the teams receiving bigger money in the betting markets. The Boilermakers have the fifth-most handle at DraftKings and have also attracted a $100,000 wager to make the Final Four at BetMGM. The Huskies have garnered several large bets at both books, which both name them as large liabilities.

The bottom of the odds board features 14 teams at 200-1, largely comprised of the lowest seeds.

MORE: Spreads, money lines and totals for every first-round matchup.

Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook, subject to change.

Team USA is headed back to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final, as they toppled the Dominican Republic, 2-1, in a thriller in Miami on Sunday night. 

The U.S., who fell to Japan in the WBC final in 2023, will look for redemption against either Venezuela or Italy, who play their semifinal matchup on Monday night.

The hype and hysteria coming into this contest between two world baseball powerhouses lived up to it all despite what the box score said. Both teams came in clutch during key moments, while matching the raucous energy of the crowd. 

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Of course, the Dominican Republic dugout and faithful went ballistic when Junior Caminero, the 22-year-old Tampa Bay Rays rising star, belted a hanging breaking ball from Skenes in the bottom of the second inning with two strikes. The ball was pelted to left field at over 400 feet, and their patented celebration ensued. 

The D.R. got the first strike off Skenes, who had been looking forward to this start against a lineup littered with some of the best baseball players in MLB. But two innings later, it was Team USA’s own young stars who turned the game around in their favor. 

Gunnar Henderson, who manager Mark DeRosa chose to play at third base, his secondary position as a shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, over Alex Bregman, one of the best defensive players at the hot corner in MLB, due to how well he hit Luis Severino. The veteran right-hander was amped for his start for the D.R., and his emotion showed it. 

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However, DeRosa’s decision came down to how much success Henderson had against Severino. The decision paid off, as Henderson hit a moon shot over the right-center field fence to tie the game at one apiece. 

Severino was pulled after one more batter for Gregory Soto, who was facing Boston Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony, the 21-year-old who has had a great first appearance in the WBC. After running the count full, Anthony took advantage of a fastball right down the middle, launching it over the center field wall to take a 2-1 lead. 

Paul Skenes of Team United States reacts after giving up a home run to Junior Caminero #13 (not pictured) of Team Dominican Republic during the second inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The entire American dugout was on the field, as Anthony motioned across his chest, showing off his pride as he celebrated with teammates. 

It was just what Team USA needed in the top of the fourth inning, especially after having runners at second and third with one out in the previous frame and not being able to get runs across. Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber both struck out to end the inning, which fired up Severino who screamed toward Team USA’s dugout. 

But Judge clearly let that go from his head, as he had a crucial defensive play in the bottom of the third inning when he gunned down Fernando Tatis Jr. trying to go from first base to third. Tatis, who is a fast runner, was out by a mile, with Judge proving his elbow, which caused issues in 2025, is more than fine heading into the 2026 season. 

The Dominicans ultimately chased Skenes from the game after 4.1 innings, as his final line read six hits, one earned run on the Caminero homer and two strikeouts. Severino lasted 3.1 innings, giving up five hits while striking out six Team USA hitters in an impressive outing that saw triple-digit fastballs on the radar gun. 

Luis Severino of Team Dominican Republic reacts after striking out Kyle Schwarber #12 (not pictured) of Team United States to end the third inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The U.S. knew a 2-1 lead was not enough, but as the Dominican bullpen continued to stifle their bats, and Julio Rodriguez appeared to rob a home run from Judge, they needed their own relievers to come through. After Tyler Rogers and Griffin Jax did their jobs, David Bednar found himself in some trouble with runners on second and third with one out – the same situation Judge and Schwarber found themselves in – in the bottom of the seventh. 

But Bednar, who escaped a similar situation against Canada in the quarterfinals, struck out Tatis and Ketel Marte to get out of the jam and keep the score the same. 

Garrett Whitlock was solid in the eighth inning to keep the one-run lead alive, which led for the easiest decision for DeRosa on the night: Mason Miller to pitch the ninth. 

The San Diego Padres All-Star closer got a strikeout to start the inning, but things got interesting when he walked Rodriguez and Will Smith couldn’t handle a pitch from Miller that allowed a free pass to second base. 

Gunnar Henderson of Team USA rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning of the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Team Dominican Republic at loanDepot park on Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos)

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Oneil Cruz moved Rodriguez to third on a groundnut to Bobby Witt Jr., leaving Geraldo Perdomo as the D.R.’s last hope. He had a clutch at-bat earlier in the game, one that could’ve tied it up if Wells read the line drive to center field better from second base. 

But Miller got Perdomo looking on a 3-2 slider at the bottom of the zone to secure Team USA’s spot in the WBC final.

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