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Team USA and the Dominican Republic engaged in an exciting and tense semifinal in the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Sunday. But an otherwise fantastic game ended in controversy, as Geraldo Perdomo was called out on a controversial strike call for the final out.
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After the contest, Perdomo said he knew the umpire got it wrong, per ESPN.
The Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop was right. To that point, Perdomo had turned in an excellent at-bat against Team USA closer Mason Miller, who was trying to hold a one-run lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and a man on third base.
With the count full, Miller threw a slider hoping to get Perdomo to chase. The shortstop didn’t offer at the pitch, but it didn’t matter. Home-plate umpire Cory Blaser called Perdomo out on strikes, ending the game and giving Team USA a 2-1 win.
The pitch wasn’t close.
There wasn’t anything Perdomo could do about the final call. The 2026 World Baseball Classic does not use Automated Ball-Strike (ABS), so strike zone calls can’t be reviewed. At least one baseball legend thinks that’s going to change next time around after Sunday’s contest.
Dominican Republic general manager Nelson Cruz took a similar track, saying he was hopeful ABS would be instituted the next time around so players can challenge those types of plays. Cruz called the final strike call “part of the game.”
While Perdomo was frustrated by the call, he did admit that the game wasn’t lost on that one pitch. The Dominican Republic had a few moments in the contest where it failed to cash in with runners in scoring position. The team also had some key base-running gaffes in the game.
Dominican Republic outfielder Juan Soto, however, wasn’t quite as gracious, telling ESPN he still believed the Dominican Republic was the best team in the tournament after the game.
The loss eliminated the Dominican Republic from the 2026 World Baseball Classic. With the win, Team USA will advance to the final for the third time in a row. The team is looking for redemption in the event after falling to Team Japan in the 2023 final.
Redemption is possible, but revenge is not. Japan suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Venezuela on Saturday, setting up a Venezuela-vs.-Italy semifinal Monday night.
The winner will square off against the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic final Tuesday.
Continue reading...
[Enter Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem now for your shot at $50K]
After the contest, Perdomo said he knew the umpire got it wrong, per ESPN.
The Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop was right. To that point, Perdomo had turned in an excellent at-bat against Team USA closer Mason Miller, who was trying to hold a one-run lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and a man on third base.
With the count full, Miller threw a slider hoping to get Perdomo to chase. The shortstop didn’t offer at the pitch, but it didn’t matter. Home-plate umpire Cory Blaser called Perdomo out on strikes, ending the game and giving Team USA a 2-1 win.
The pitch wasn’t close.
There wasn’t anything Perdomo could do about the final call. The 2026 World Baseball Classic does not use Automated Ball-Strike (ABS), so strike zone calls can’t be reviewed. At least one baseball legend thinks that’s going to change next time around after Sunday’s contest.
Dominican Republic general manager Nelson Cruz took a similar track, saying he was hopeful ABS would be instituted the next time around so players can challenge those types of plays. Cruz called the final strike call “part of the game.”
While Perdomo was frustrated by the call, he did admit that the game wasn’t lost on that one pitch. The Dominican Republic had a few moments in the contest where it failed to cash in with runners in scoring position. The team also had some key base-running gaffes in the game.
Dominican Republic outfielder Juan Soto, however, wasn’t quite as gracious, telling ESPN he still believed the Dominican Republic was the best team in the tournament after the game.
The loss eliminated the Dominican Republic from the 2026 World Baseball Classic. With the win, Team USA will advance to the final for the third time in a row. The team is looking for redemption in the event after falling to Team Japan in the 2023 final.
Redemption is possible, but revenge is not. Japan suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Venezuela on Saturday, setting up a Venezuela-vs.-Italy semifinal Monday night.
The winner will square off against the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic final Tuesday.
Continue reading...
