Blown call ends World Baseball Classic semi-final as USA squeeze past Dominican Republic

"The Dominican Republic threatened in the ninth when Julio Rodriguez drew a walk and advanced to third against Mason Miller. With two outs, Miller struck out Geraldo Perdomo for his second save but the final pitch on a full count and with the dangerous Fernando Tatis Jr up next was several inches below the strike zone."

"The loaded American roster led by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and featuring stars Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge, reached its third straight WBC title game after winning in 2017 and falling to Shohei Ohtani and Japan in 2023."

"The Dominicans reached the semis for the first time since winning the WBC title in 2013, but missing the championship was not the goal for a roster that featured six players who finished among the top 10 in MVP voting last year and cruised through the early rounds of this WBC."

The United States secured a 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic in a World Baseball Classic semi-final, with Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony each hitting home runs. Mason Miller earned his second save by striking out Geraldo Perdomo in the ninth inning, though the final pitch was several inches below the strike zone. The absence of automated ball-strike technology prevented the Dominican Republic from challenging the call. The American roster, led by Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, advanced to its third consecutive WBC title game. The Dominican Republic, featuring six players who finished in the top 10 of MVP voting, reached the semi-finals for the first time since winning the championship in 2013. The United States will face the winner of Monday's semi-final between Italy and Venezuela in Tuesday's title game.

Read at www.theguardian.com