LoanDepot Park (Miami) – The epic semifinal between the United States and the Dominican Republic was everything it was hyped up to be.
Between both countries, including hitters and pitchers, there were 17 players who have already been All-Stars — the most All-Stars starting in a World Baseball Classic semifinal or final, surpassing the 11 who played in the 2017 WBC final between the USA and Puerto Rico.
It was quite possibly the most talent on a baseball field in a single game with stakes, ever.
Powered by powerful pitching, heads-up plays and excellent offensive timing, Team USA knocked off the Dominican Republic with a 2-1 win in the semifinals on Sunday night at loanDepot Park. The Dominican Republic, which featured its most dominant roster in the history of the WBC, suffered its first loss of the tournament as their “platano-powered” run came to an end.
“The World Series I was in versus the crowd here and the one we had against Mexico, it’s bigger and better than the World Series,” Team USA captain Aaron Judge said. “The passion that these fans have, representing their country, representing their favorite players, there’s nothing like it. That’s what you dream about as a kid.”
Here are my takeaways:
1. Don’t Run on Captain America
This was, arguably, the play of the game.
The Dominican Republic took a 1-0 lead over the USA in the second inning and they were threatening to pile on in the third, just like they had done all tournament. But their previous five games in the WBC, two of which included mercy-ruling the opponent, didn’t feature a Gold-Glove caliber, three-time MVP patrolling right field.
With two outs in the third, the top of the Dominican Republic lineup was cooking after Fernando Tatis Jr. reached base on a fielder’s choice. The heavily-favored Dominican crowd urged the team to tack on some runs against Paul Skenes and the USA when Ketel Marte laced a single to right field.
Tatis, who doesn’t have elite sprint speed but can be pesky on the basepaths, opted to test Aaron Judge’s arm in right field. As Tatis went from first to third, Judge fired a 95.7 mph laser to USA third baseman Gunnar Henderson, who tagged Tatis for the final out of the inning. Juan Soto, meanwhile, watched it all happen from the on-deck circle.
As much as Tatis and the Dominican Republic found out the hard way not to run on Judge’s superhuman arm, it was also a silly decision to try and advance to third with his team’s best hitter due up. All the momentum they generated instantly vaporized on that play. The USA put up a pair of runs on solo shots from Roman Anthony and Henderson in the next inning, and the Dominican Republic never scored again.
“It was beautiful,” said Pete Crow-Armstong, who watched Judge cut down Tatis from center field. “Very rare that somebody can throw a ball on a line that is a cuttable baseball. So the right throw to make, and still get it there with ease. The transfer to release is one of the cleanest things I’ve ever seen.
“I think that that throw today definitely changed something. It made a shift somewhere, for sure.”
2. Home Run History: Dominican Republic Sets New Mark
Junior Caminero put the Dominican Republic on the board and in the history books with his third home run of the tournament on Sunday. The 22-year-old’s solo shot off Skenes marked the Dominican Republic’s 15th home run of this year’s WBC, setting a new record for the most home runs by a single team in the tournament’s history. The previous record of 14 home runs was set by Mexico in the 2009 WBC, which was headlined by Adrian Gonzalez.
Besides Caminero, five other Dominican Republic hitters had multiple home runs in this year’s tournament. Despite how stacked the lineup was, the country met its match against a dream team USA squad that flourished with their pitching on Sunday.
Team D.R. manager Albert Pujols said afterward that it just wasn’t their time to win the Classic. He was proud of the way the team played together in the tournament, bringing an undefeated record into the semifinals.
“Too bad we have to wait another three years,” Pujols said.
3. Sevy Holds It Down
(Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
This was a memorable outing for Luis Severino, who had the odds stacked against him, but still gave the Dominican Republic all he had in the semifinal. Severino was amped up throughout his 68-pitch outing, throwing so hard that it seemed like he was willing to risk blowing his arm out later in the year for the Athletics.
Severino threw six pitches that clocked in at 99 mph or more against the USA on Sunday. He had five such pitches in the entire 2025 season for the Athletics, when his four-seamer averaged 96.1 mph. His best moment of the game came in the third inning, when he delivered back-to-back strikeouts against Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber and stranded runners on second and third.
“I came up in the minor leagues with Severino, so there were many outings I had in right field watching him throw 100 miles an hour past people,” Judge said. “He’s a big game pitcher who loves a big moment, loves a spotlight like that, and he showed out for them tonight. He had all his pitches working.”
Going into Sunday, the Dominican Republic was being criticized for failing to line up one of their best pitchers, Sandy Alcantara or Cristopher Sanchez, to start the semifinal. USA, on the other hand, planned in advance for Skenes to take the hill on Sunday.
Severino’s 4.54 ERA last season didn’t tell the whole story. He struggled at home in the Athletics’ hitter-friendly ballpark (6.01 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 15 starts) and excelled on the road (3.02 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 14 starts). On Sunday, Severino showed why he was once upon a time the Yankees’ No. 1 pitching prospect, and eventually a two-time All-Star.
4. Bednar Gets Away With It Again
David Bednar just can’t help himself sometimes.
The right-handed reliever came out of the bullpen to pitch the seventh inning of a tight, one-run game when he allowed a one-out double to his Yankees teammate, Austin Wells. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a single to center, moving Wells up to third, and then Perdomo promptly stole second base. Bednar didn’t even bother paying attention to him. He was locked in on the top of the Dominican Republic lineup, and he delivered some of the fiercest outs of the game.
Tatis swung wildly at Bednar’s perfectly executed splitters in the dirt, striking out on four pitches for the second out of the frame. Rinse, wash, repeat. Ketel Marte, too, was fooled by Bednar’s nasty arsenal, this time flailing at his 78 mph curveball and whiffing for the final out of the seventh.
United States’ David Bednar strikes out Ketel Marte with two men in scoring position, retaining lead over Dominican Republic
Bednar is known to create chaos on the basepaths late in the game, in high-leverage moments. It’s just a part of his act, and Yankees fans will have to become familiar with that stress this season as he gets ready to take on full-time closing duties in the Bronx.
4 ½. What’s next for Team USA?
Right-hander Nolan McLean will take the mound for USA in the championship game on Tuesday night in Miami. McLean will face the winner of Monday’s semifinal matchup between Italy and Venezuela. The Americans attempting to lock down their first WBC title since 2017.
