Last night, baseball fans were treated to one of the greatest games in sports history between the United States and the Dominican Republic. In the 2026 World Baseball Classic semifinals, the much-anticipated matchup lived up to the hype, with the US pulling off a 2-1 victory. It was a high-energy game with an electric atmosphere, tons of drama, and emotion. It was the type of game you expected to see during the pennant chase or late in October.
However, all the talk surrounding the game has less to do with the game itself and more with how it ended. In the bottom of the ninth, the DR had a runner on third with two outs. Geraldo Perdomo was able to work a 3-2 count and had fouled off several pitches. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Mason Miller threw a slider that looked low but was called a strike, clinching the game for the Americans. This controversial call has caused a lot of discourse, and many have said it ruined what should have been a classic. But one bad call should not ruin the game’s legacy.
The Talk Should Be About the Game, Not About The Call
For starters, was this a missed call by the umpire? Yes. But it was consistent with what the umpire was calling all game. There were several pitches in the same area that were called a strike, which, looking back on it, should have been a ball. And these went against both teams. Juan Soto struck out in the bottom of the 8th, and Roman Anthony struck out in the top of the first on similarly placed pitches. Pedromo should have known that the umpire had a low strike zone. He should have been ready to defend the plate and attack any low pitch.
The Dominican Republic also had plenty of opportunities they could not capitalize on. They left eight runners on base and went two for nine with runners in scoring position. There were multiple times that the DR had either the bases loaded or had guys on base with one out and could not capitalize. Had the DR been able to get a big hit on just one of those instances, the game would have been entirely different. That is a much bigger story than some borderline strike call.
This is also taking away from how dominant the US pitching is. The Dominican Republic’s lineup had been on fire for the entire tournament. As a team, they had a slash line of .300/.430/.595 with 52 runs scored and 15 home runs. All of which ranked first in the tournament. This was not an easy lineup to face, and the US pitching staff shut them down. Paul Skenes was able to go four and a third, giving up six hits and a run with two strikeouts. The American bullpen was able to go four and two-thirds, giving up just two hits, no runs, and striking out six.
That should be the story of the game. The way the US was able to neutralize one of the greatest lineups the game may ever see. We should be watching highlights of David Bednar celebrating and being pumped after getting a big strikeout. These are highlights that are good for baseball. These are what will grow the event and get more people interested in it. If all people see is the negative attention a bad call gets, it’s going to turn people away and keep the WBC from getting the respect it deserves.
Although a controversial call will always get the headlines, it should not overshadow the game itself. Anyone who watched the game can tell you that the call was not the lone factor in the Dominican Republic’s loss.
