WBC Daily: Dominican Republic Keeps Hittin’ Home Runs; USA Reaches Semifinals

Team USA was able to hold off Canada to reach the World Baseball Classic semifinals, and now Aaron Judge and Co. will take on the hard-hitting Dominican Republic – a squad that cannot stop launching dingers. A big-time semifinal clash in Miami awaits us on Sunday between two tournament favorites. But before we get to that, let’s recap Friday’s quarterfinals action at the World Baseball Classic. Dominican Republic Dominates Korea To Reach Semis The Dominican Republic is on a mission at the World Baseball Classic. And it’s happening via the long ball. With Friday’s 10-0 rout of Korea, the Dominicans are 5-0 in the tournament. They have outscored opponents 51-10 while batting .312 and with 14 homers, which ties the WBC record set by Mexico in 2009. Austin Wells hit a walk-off three-run homer in the seventh inning that ended the game under a tournament rout rule. Fernando Tatis Jr. drove in two runs and has 11 RBIs in the tournament. He is tied for third in a single WBC, trailing only Masataka Yoshida’s 13 for Japan in 2023 and Wladimir Balentien’s 12 for the Netherlands in 2017. Backed by three runs in the second inning and four in the third, winner Christopher Sánchez struck out eight in five innings of two-hit ball. USA Outlasts Canada To Reach Semifinals Team USA keeps playing with fire, but they’re at least in the semifinals thanks to a win over Canada in Houston. Aaron Judge doubled and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brice Turang each had two hits as the United States beat Canada 5-3 on Friday night to book a date with the Dominican Republic in the semis. Bo Naylor hit a two-run homer in Canada’s three-run sixth that cut the deficit to two runs. But the U.S. bullpen closed it out, capped by Mason Miller striking out the side in the ninth for the save. Canada trailed by five runs when Owen Caissie walked with one out in the sixth and moved to second on a groundout by Abraham Toro. Tyler Black’s RBI single off Brad Keller cut the lead to 5-1. Naylor’s shot to the second deck in right field came on Gabe Speier’s fifth pitch and got Canada within 5-3. It was the 10th home run the U.S. has allowed in five games in the tournament. The Canadians responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, which included a two-shot by Bo Naylor. Canada had the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning, but David Bednar escaped the jam and the United States closed out a win with Mason Miller.