USA Powers Past Dominican Republic: Henderson and Anthony Deliver in WBC Thriller

The World Baseball Classic reached a fever pitch in Miami as Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony launched back-to-back solo home runs to propel Team USA to a gritty 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic. The fourth-inning power surge erased an early deficit and proved to be the difference in a game defined by elite pitching and high-stakes drama. With this win, the United States secures its place in a third consecutive WBC title game, moving one step closer to defending its status as a global baseball powerhouse.

Starting pitcher Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, set the tone for the Americans by navigating a star-studded Dominican lineup. Skenes tossed 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out five. His only blemish came in the second inning when Junior Caminero belted a solo shot that briefly gave the Dominican Republic a 1-0 lead. However, Skenes’ composure allowed the U.S. offense to hang around until the youth movement took over. Gunnar Henderson, starting at third base, tied the game with a towering blast off Luis Severino, followed immediately by Roman Anthony's go-ahead homer against reliever Gregory Soto.

The game concluded with no shortage of controversy. In the bottom of the ninth, with Julio Rodríguez representing the tying run at third base, Mason Miller struck out Geraldo Perdomo on a 102 mph heater that appeared to be several inches below the strike zone. Without the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system in place for the tournament, the call stood, leaving the Dominican squad and a raucous Miami crowd in disbelief. Despite the debated finish, Miller earned his second save of the tournament, punctuating a dominant performance by the U.S. bullpen which held the Dominicans scoreless over the final 4.2 innings.

Defensively, the Americans were sensational. Aaron Judge electrified the stadium in the third inning, firing a 95.7 mph laser from right field to nail Fernando Tatis Jr. attempting to advance to third. Not to be outdone, the Dominican Republic’s Julio Rodríguez made a gravity-defying catch at the center-field wall to rob Judge of a home run in the fifth. These web gems highlighted the world-class talent on display, as both rosters featured multiple MVP candidates and All-Stars.

Team USA now awaits the winner of the second semifinal between Italy and Venezuela. Manager Mark DeRosa praised his team's resilience, noting that while the offense hasn't yet "exploded," the pitching staff has carried the load. The championship game is set for Tuesday night, where the U.S. will look to capture its second WBC trophy since the tournament's inception. For the Dominican Republic, the loss marks a disappointing end to a tournament where they set a record with 15 total home runs.