HOUSTON — Following the Dominican Republic’s decisive mercy-rule victory over Korea, securing their berth in the World Baseball Classic semifinals, Dominican fans at LoanDepot Park in Miami made their next wish clear, chanting: “Queremos a USA” — we want the USA.
Their wish was granted.
The United States cemented its place in the WBC semifinals with a 5-3 triumph against Canada on Friday evening, setting the stage for a highly anticipated showdown between the tournament’s two most formidable squads. National League Cy Young Award recipient Paul Skenes is slated to pitch for Team USA against a potent Dominican lineup that has consistently overwhelmed opposing pitchers. Meanwhile, Athletics right-hander Luis Severino is anticipated to challenge an American lineup brimming with star power but whose offensive output has been modest thus far.
“I anticipate this will be one of the greatest games ever played,” remarked Team USA manager Mark DeRosa.
The excitement surrounding Sunday’s 8 p.m. ET game in Miami is set to peak as these teams meet in the WBC for the first time since 2017. In that prior encounter, the U.S. eliminated the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals on their way to clinching their sole WBC championship. The Dominican team has also secured one title, which occurred in 2013.
While the Dominican Republic has amassed an impressive 51-10 run differential across its five WBC victories, the United States’ recent scoring difficulties persisted Friday night, leading to a tense battle against a Canadian squad that last bested the Americans in the WBC back in 2006.
Before a crowd of 38,054 at Daikin Park, the U.S. took a 1-0 lead in the first inning courtesy of a run-scoring groundout by Kyle Schwarber. They then added two more runs in the third when Canada’s third baseman Abraham Toro mishandled a bases-loaded ground ball, throwing it past first baseman Josh Naylor. The Americans extended their lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning with additional RBI singles from Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong.
By that point, U.S. starter Logan Webb had departed to a standing ovation after delivering 4⅔ shutout innings, appearing to leave Team USA in a strong position. Utilizing a balanced mix of his excellent sinker, changeup, and sweeper, Webb limited Canada to four hits and recorded five strikeouts across 71 pitches. He was relieved by Brad Keller, who gave up Canada’s initial run on a Tyler Black RBI single in the sixth. After Keller’s exit, DeRosa called upon left-handed reliever Gabe Speier, who, on his fifth pitch, surrendered a two-run home run to Canada catcher Bo Naylor, narrowing Team USA’s lead to 5-3.
The U.S. encountered further difficulty in the subsequent inning. New York Yankees closer David Bednar yielded two infield singles, and a passed ball placed American runners on second and third with no outs. Canada’s captain, Josh Naylor, popped out to third baseman Alex Bregman on a fastball over the plate. Tyler O’Neill then struck out. On a full count, Bednar enticed rookie Owen Caissie to swing at a splitter, extinguishing the threat.
Boston Red Sox setup pitcher Garrett Whitlock and San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller combined to secure the final six outs for the United States.
After an explosive start, tallying 24 runs against Brazil and Great Britain in its opening two WBC games, Team USA’s offense has largely sputtered. Their five runs against Mexico were all scored in a single inning. Against Italy, their six runs came only after falling behind 8-0. And even against a Canadian team that started major leaguer Michael Soroka but then relied on minor league pitchers for the final 6⅓ innings, the American bats struggled to produce.
“If we aim to win this tournament, which we all believe we can, it will require more than just home runs,” stated United States captain Aaron Judge. “When the long ball isn’t working, we need to execute small ball, advance runners, and employ various strategies to generate offense.”
The Dominican Republic, however, has faced no such challenges, boasting a team batting line of .312/.453/.637 and crushing 14 home runs, a total that ties for the most by any team in the WBC’s two-decade history.
“They are youthful and highly skilled,” commented Team USA first baseman Bryce Harper. “From the first batter to the ninth, every player in that lineup can hit for power and average. It’s one of the premier baseball nations globally, so you anticipate excellence, and that’s precisely what they’re delivering.”
Skenes presents a beacon of hope for the U.S. He delivered four nearly flawless innings during Team USA’s 5-3 pool play victory against Mexico. DeRosa indicated that Skenes is expected to throw between 75 and 80 pitches – a count below the 95 allowed for pitchers in semifinal and final games.
“I enjoy watching any game Paul Skenes pitches,” Judge declared. “His talent is simply incredible.”