"We showed the world who's the best team in baseball. That's all I got to say. Soto's frustration, as well as his teammates', was palpable after home-plate umpire Cory Blaser called a full-count slider from U.S. closer Mason Miller for a strike against D.R. shortstop Geraldo Perdomo despite the pitch being clearly below the zone."
"I knew 100% it was a ball. I knew it. Perdomo had worked a brilliant seven-pitch at-bat before the eighth inning ended the Dominicans' dreams of bringing home a WBC championship, making the controversial call particularly frustrating given his disciplined approach at the plate."
"It's part of the game. You lost by inches. We'll have ABS in a few years, so hopefully next time we can challenge plays like that. This event is really good for baseball. You have regular fans that love the game -- and you have people who don't pay attention and you're attracting them."
The Dominican Republic lost to Team USA 2-1 in the World Baseball Classic semifinals after home-plate umpire Cory Blaser made a controversial call, striking out shortstop Geraldo Perdomo on a pitch clearly below the strike zone. The call proved decisive in ending the Dominicans' championship hopes. Star player Juan Soto emphasized the team's overall tournament performance rather than dwelling on the final game's outcome. Dominican Republic general manager Nelson Cruz acknowledged the loss came by narrow margins and expressed hope that the automated ball-strike system debuting in Major League Baseball this season could prevent similar controversial calls in future tournaments. The WBC holds Olympic-level importance for Dominican baseball fans.
#world-baseball-classic #controversial-umpire-call #dominican-republic-vs-usa #automated-ball-strike-system #baseball-officiating
Read at ESPN.com
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