Key events
Post-game
Well that call was ridiculous. It should be runners at the corners with Tatis coming up, but instead it’s all over and I can’t wait to never see that happen again in a big game with the coming of ABS. Man, that is just one of the worst calls in a big spot I have ever seen. We’re talking Don Dekinger bad.
But overall, it was a very well played, tight, exciting ballgame. Despite the USA lineup once again being thwarted, this time by a so-so Dominican bullpen, they are though and will face either Venezuela or Italy in the final. Paul Skenes was his usual impressive self, and the US bullpen did some serious lifting against huge DR bats, so this win goes to the whole of the pitching staff the team put together. Tremendous job in relief, no question.
That’s all from us at the Guardian – we’re glad you stuck with us throughout our WBC live coverage. We’ll be back for the final, so we’ll see you soon. And of course, wherever you are, good morning, good afternoon or goodnight.
USA 2-1 DR, Final
Here comes the eighth pitch of this at-bat!
It’s low, but called a strike! The ball game is over! Team USA are heading to the WBC Final!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Fouled again!!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Fouled back! Count is full!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Away! Full count!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Up and away – it’s 2-2 to Cruz!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Bullet down Broadway. It’s 1-2. Team USA are one strike away!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
borderline strike up, it’s 1-1.
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Ball high – 1-0.
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Ground ball to short – Witt first to first for the second out, Rodriguez moves to third. The tying run is 90 feet away and it’s all up to Perdomo!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Nothing a 101mph fastball can’t help! It’s 2-2 to Cruz!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Another ball in the dirt!
What‘s up with Miller?
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
The ball gets away from Will Smith – Rodriguez moves to second, and now the tying run is 180 feet away!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
The US meet at the mound to chat about it, as Cruz patiently waits for the biggest at-bat of his life.
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
He walks! So the tying run is on the bases. Oneil Cruz will pinch hit for Austin Wells. A big swing will send the DR to the WBC final!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
It’s 3-1 to Rodriguez!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
Caminero barely stays alive on an 0-2, three-digit fastball.
Then he goes fishing for a ball in the dirt – strike three!
The US are two outs away from a WBC final! Here’s Rodrigues, who is ahead 2-0 in the count.
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 9th
So here is Mason Miller, who is just really scary and who you would never want to face, ever, in what is probably the biggest game of his life. He’ll match-up against Caminero, who has the only DR offense tonight.
USA 2-1 DR, top 9th
Turang grounds out to first – that’s the inning. The DR has just three outs left! How will it end?
USA 2-1 DR, top 9th
Buxton can’t lay off a slider away and so he strikes out. Now it’s up to Turang to try and muscle home an additional run.
USA 2-1 DR, top 9th
Doval freezes Smith on a ball inside and that’s strike three!
One out and here comes Buxton for his first at-bat of the night.
USA 2-1 DR, top 9th
Camilo Doval, a former Giant and current Yankee reliever is in to try and keep Team USA’s lead a slim single run. He faces Will Smith first.
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 8th
Machado chases a ball away – strike three! The DR’s biggest threats go down in order and that’s one hell of an inning from Garrett Whitlock!
To the ninth!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 8th
Machado swings at a ball in the dirt and the count is 1-2!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 8th
Guerrero grounds back to the pitcher – it’s easy for Whitlock who tosses gently to first for the second out. Now it’s up to Manny Machado!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 8th
Full count to Guerrero!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 8th
Soto looks at a low slider, that was definitely low, but that home plate umpire Cory Blaser said was a strike. The Mets slugger is out and he’s unhappy. Here comes Guerrero with one down.
Defense
Roman Anthony is out. Crowe-Armstrong replaces him in left while Byron Buxton comers in to play center field.
Whitlock is the new pitcher as the righty faces Soto to start the DR eighth inning.
USA 2-1 DR, top 8th
A ground ball to second is the tart of a 4-6-3 inning ending double play! Another strong inning from the DR pen!
Soto, Guerrero and Machado are coming up.
USA 2-1 DR, top 8th
Dominguez falls behind Schwarber 3-1 before missing down and in, walking the Phillies slugger.
One on and one out now for Henderson. DeRosa brings in Ernie Clement to run for Schwarber as he searches for a way to get an insurance run across.
USA 2-1 DR, top 8th
Judge waves at a high fastball. One down, and here is Schwarber.
USA 2-1 DR, top 8th
Toronto reliever Seranthony Dominguez is in for the DR as they try to keep the US lead to a single run. His first test is Aaron Judge.
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 7th
Marte waves at a curveball in the dirt and David Bednar survives a walk on the wild side! The DR strand two runners as this game heads to the eighth! Some absolutely huge pitches right there from Bednar!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 7th
Ball! It’s 1-2!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 7th
Marte is down 0-2 after waving at a fastball!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 7th
Tatis waves at a slider away! Two down! Huge out right there as Jr could not get a runner home from third with less than two outs!. So now it’s all up to Ketel Marte!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 7th
Perdomo steals second! So a base hit could give the DR a lead! It’s 1-2 to Tatis!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 7th
Base hit to center! Wells moves to third, and it’s runners at the corners with one out for Tatis Jr!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 7th
David Bednar, who has been tapped by DeRosa several times in this tournament is on to try and shorten that bridge to the mercurial Mason Miller. He’s ahead v Rodriguez: 0-2.
Then the Mariners bopper pops to short where Witt is running out to the outfield to make the play. One down, here’s Wells, who has himself a one out double!
The Yankees catcher drove the ball to the wall in right, over the head of his teammate, and now the run the DR needs to tie this game is in scoring position for Perdomo.
USA 2-1 DR, top 7th
Harper is quiet, grounding out to second for the third out.
It’s stretch time in Miami with Team USA holding on to a slim lead. How will it end?
USA 2-1 DR, top 7th
Abner Uribe of Milwaukee is in and gets Crowe-Armstrong to sky to center for the first out. Now Witt is back and now strikes out again, that’s his third of the night. Two down, and so far so good for Uribe.
Harper is up.
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 6th
Machado swings and hits a sharp ground ball to the hole at shortstop. Witt dives to his right, makes a back handed stab, gets up and fires a pill to first, in time to get Machado. Absolutely stellar play right there from Witt.
Then Caminero pops out to center and that’s an easy 1-2-3 inning for Jax!
To the seventh!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 6th
Guerrero hits a fly ball to the track and Crowe-Armstrong is there to put it away for the first out. Manny Machado is next.
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 6th
Griffin Jax, who spends his summers in Minnesota, is in for Team USA to face Vladimir Guerrero who is leading off the DR sixth inning. The Jays slugger takes a second strike and is behind in the count 1-2.
USA 2-1 DR, top 6th
Turang is in the hole 0-2. The DR favored crowd is up as Turang waves at a change up for strike three! That’s a great inning for the Mets reliever as he strikes out the side!
USA 2-1 DR, top 6th
Brazoban seems to be in a groove, getting Anthony looking on a sinker in. Two down, and here is Turang. Will this sixth inning stay quiet?
USA 2-1 DR, top 6th
Brazoban is back and he’ll face Will Smith to start off the Team USA sixth inning.
The Dodger fouls off a 2-1 pitch to level the count.
Then he swings though a high cutter for the first out. Anthony, who has homered, is next.
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 5th
The submarine pitcher deals a double play ball! Inning over! It goes 6-4-3 to end the DR threat! Soto is denied!
USA 2-1 DR, bottom 5th
Marte hits a line drive to center – base hit! Tatis does NOT go to third, and he should have. So it’s runners at the corners with one down and that’s going to be all for Skenes.
So now DeRosa has to bridge between the Pirates ace and Mason Miller, and that starts with Tyler Rogers. All he has to do is face Soto in a really big spot!
