Team USA back in World Baseball Classic final with win over Dominican Republic

The USA team returns to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final with a 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic in Miami on Sunday night.

The USA, which lost to Japan in the WBC final in 2023, will seek redemption against Venezuela or Italy, which will play in the semifinals on Monday night.

The excitement and hysteria generated in this contest between two of the world’s strongest baseball players lived up to the odds, despite what the boxing score said. Both teams were able to hold their own at key moments while adapting to the loud energy of the crowd.

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Of course, the Dominican Republic’s bench and faithful went wild when 22-year-old Junior Caminero, a rising star for the Tampa Bay Rays, hit a hanging breaking ball from Skenes with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. The ball was launched over 400 feet to left field and the patented celebrations began.

DR struck out first from Skenes, who was looking forward to this start against a lineup that featured some of the best baseball players in MLB. But two shots later, it was Team USA’s own young stars who turned the game in their favor.

Gunnar Henderson, who manager Mark DeRosa chose to play third base, made his second stint as a shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles against Alex Bregman, who is one of the best defenders at the hot corner in MLB because of how well he hits Luis Severino. The experienced right-hander was very excited to start DR and his emotions showed it.

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But DeRosa’s decision hinged on how well Henderson did against Severino. The decision paid off as Henderson hit a moon shot over the right-center field fence to tie the game at one.

Severino was another at-bat in place of Gregory Soto, who faced 21-year-old Boston Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony, who was coming off a great performance in his WBC debut. After completing the count, Anthony took advantage of a fastball in center field to launch the ball over the center field wall for a 2-1 lead.

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

The all-American dugout was on the field as Anthony showed his pride by pointing at his chest and celebrating with his teammates.

This was exactly what Team USA needed in the top of the fourth inning, especially after having runners on second and third in the previous frame and failing to score runs. Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber struck out to end the inning, which triggered Severino screaming into Team USA’s dugout.

But Judge clearly put that out of his mind as he made a crucial defensive play in the bottom of the third inning, striking out Fernando Tatis Jr. as he attempted to go from first base to third base. Tatis, a fast runner, fell short by a mile, and Judge proved that the elbow that caused problems in 2025 could very well be a good thing heading into the 2026 season.

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

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

The USA knew a 2-1 lead wasn’t enough, but they needed a savior of their own as the Dominican bullpen continued to press their sticks and Julio Rodriguez attempted to steal Hakim’s home run. After Tyler Rogers and Griffin Jax did their job, David Bednar ran into trouble with runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh; one was out – the same situation Judge and Schwarber found themselves in.

However, Bednar, who survived a similar situation against Canada in the quarter-finals, managed to keep the score the same by leaving Tatis and Ketel Marte behind.

Garrett Whitlock was able to keep a one-run lead alive in the eighth inning, which led to the easiest decision of the night for DeRosa: pitching Mason Miller to bat the ninth.

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

Team USA’s Gunnar Henderson walks 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 CreditDepot Park on Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos)

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Oneil Cruz grounded Rodriguez to Bobby Witt Jr. for third place, leaving Geraldo Perdomo as DR’s last hope. He had a clutch at-bat early in the game; Had Wells been able to better read the line drive from second base to center field, he could have tied it.

But Miller had Perdomo look at the bottom of the regional at 3-2 to secure Team USA’s spot in the WBC final.

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