USA stifles Dominican Republic’s offense to makes WBC final

MIAMI — Dominican shortstop Geraldo Perdomo threw his hands up in the air in disgust and United States closer Mason Miller lifted his in celebration.

Miller’s full-count slider sailed below the strike zone but was called a strike by home plate umpire Cory Blaser on Sunday night, giving Team USA a 2-1 victory in a star-studded World Baseball Classic semifinal that was every bit as tense and as tightly contested as anticipated.

Trailing by one with two outs left against the game’s best closer, Julio Rodriguez worked a walk, moved to second on a passed ball and reached third on a groundout. Perdomo then worked the count full and fouled off back-to-back 101 mph fastballs from Miller. The ensuing pitch clearly missed the bottom of the strike zone, but the automated ball-strike system, which will be used on a challenge basis for the first time during the regular season, is not part of this tournament.

Perdomo was ruled out, sending Team USA to the finals against the winner between Italy and Venezuela. Fernando Tatis Jr., one of the Dominican Republic’s best hitters in this tournament, loomed on deck. Half of a sold-out crowd of 36,337 erupted in jubilation. The other half could only moan.

For the better part of nine innings, though, the game delivered as expected.

The U.S. and D.R. rosters featured 25 players who were ranked within ESPN’s Top 100. The two lineups for the semifinals have combined for 56 All-Star Games, nine Gold Gloves, 31 Silver Sluggers, five MVPs and, with Team USA starter Paul Skenes, one Cy Young Award. Their ensuing contest featured a little bit of everything, from prodigious blasts to spectacular plays to, in the end, shutdown pitching.

It began with home runs, starting with Junior Caminero, who turned on a high-and-away Skenes sweeper in the bottom of the second and sent it 401 feet to give the Dominican Republic the first run and a record-setting 15th homer in this tournament. Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony followed for Team USA in the fourth, hitting two balls a combined 821 feet to give the U.S. its first lead.

Defense dominated thereafter. Aaron Judge gunned down Tatis attempting to go first to third on a single, ending the third inning with Juan Soto set to bat. Rodriguez took a 98 mph fastball to his right hand in the bottom of the fourth, then went back out to center field in the top of the fifth and robbed Judge of a potential home run — a play so nice even Judge himself couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

In the sixth, Bobby Witt Jr. slid in the hole to field a sharp grounder and threw out Manny Machado, one of several spectacular plays turned in by the Kansas City Royals‘ young shortstop in this tournament.

Trailing 2-1 in the middle innings, the Dominicans threatened in the fourth and fifth but could not capitalize. They rallied once again in the seventh, putting runners on second and third with one out. But David Bednar came back to strike out Tatis and Ketel Marte, working out of a jam similar to the one he weaved his way out of against Team Canada in the quarterfinals.

“USA!” chants followed him as he made his way to the dugout.

They followed again two innings later, when Miller closed it out.