Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo was in a spot players dream of on Sunday, stepping up in the bottom of the ninth inning against a dominant closer with the tying run 90 feet away and two outs.
Now, add the element of passion that comes with international baseball and the pressure of a trip to the World Baseball Classic final on the line. In that environment, Perdomo displayed to an international audience the patience and relentlessness in the box that makes him a special hitter.
He worked an eight-pitch at-bat, falling behind 1-2, working the count full and fouling off a pair of 101 mph heaters against flamethrower Mason Miller until he spat on a slider that dropped below the strike zone.
Instead of Perdomo reaping the reward for the epic battle he seemingly won to keep the game alive, home plate umpire Cory Blaser rung him up to end a tense semifinal matchup between the two most talented teams left in the tournament, 2-1.
Perdomo took a step to toss his bat before realizing what had happened, and he threw his hands over his head in disbelief. U.S. catcher Will Smith pumped his fist while Miller clapped his glove.
MASON MILLER WINS THE BATTLE
TEAM USA WINS THE GAME! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/IJCG9vjv5r
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 16, 2026
Julio Rodriguez was stranded on third base. Fernando Tatis Jr., Miller’s Padres teammate, would have come up to bat with Arizona’s Ketel Marte on deck. There’s no guarantee the D.R. wins if Perdomo walks, but the game would likely have ended on a more satisfying note. Perhaps Marte could have received a chance to be the hero.
Major League Baseball teams will have the ability to avoid Sunday’s final call now that the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System is in place, but it was not implemented in the WBC.
It is a shame that such an intense game ended in controversy, as the matchup lived up to the billing in terms of drama. Two teams with elite lineups were thrown into a rock fight, as pitching and defense took the center stage in Miami.
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Paul Skenes danced out of danger to give the U.S. 4.1 innings with one earned run. Five relievers took it from there with 4.2 scoreless innings and two hits.
Aaron Judge, the U.S. captain, did not have a notable moment at the plate in this game, but he made two massive defensive plays, throwing out Tatis at third base on a Marte single to end the third inning and a diving catch to rob Juan Soto of a lead-off hit in the fourth.
Perdomo nearly tied the game in the seventh inning with a single off David Bednar, but D.R. catcher Austin Wells was held up at third base with center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong coming up firing. The throw was up the line and Wells could have scored, but that’s the benefit of hindsight knowing a good throw would have nailed Wells at home.
All three runs scored were solo home runs, with Junior Caminero taking the lead off Skenes in the third inning, and the U.S. jumping ahead with blasts from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony.
The United States, despite the scrutiny it faced after losing to Italy in pool play, will take on either Venezuela or Italy in the final on Tuesday. Sunday’s win was a moment of redemption for manager Mark DeRosa’s squad as it looks to win its second WBC (2017) after coming up a run short in 2023.
The remaining semifinal matchup will take place on Monday.
The Dominican Diamondbacks — Perdomo, Marte and Carlos Santana — will head back to Arizona to finish spring training, as Opening Day nears on March 26. The D.R. was 5-0 entering Sunday and averaged more than 10 runs per game, playing with an enthusiasm that made them the team to watch.
Marte finished 2-for-4 on Sunday with two singles off Skenes and the key strikeout. Perdomo went 1-for-3 to close out his first WBC, but that conclusion has got to hurt.
That game cannot end like that. A shame.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 16, 2026
DR manager Albert Pujols: “I don’t want to focus on the last pitch. .. I’m not going to criticize any of that. It wasn’t meant to be.”
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 16, 2026
pic.twitter.com/n2SYoycOoR
— Baseball Images that Precede Unfortunate Events (@UnfortunateMLB) March 16, 2026
USA beats the Dominican Republic but that pitch to Perdomo was clearly Ball 4
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) March 16, 2026
No reporting. Just a prediction.
The next WBC will have the ABS challenge system for ball/strike calls.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) March 16, 2026
Karl-Anthony Towns says the final call in tonight's WBC game against his Dominican Republic team was "some bulls–t" pic.twitter.com/iuDTV9ypP5
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 16, 2026
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