WBC Wrap-Up: Bad call mars close game as U.S. advances

"Severino was again threatened in the third, as a single and double with one out brought Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber to the plate with a chance to tie or go ahead. But, Severino beat Judge on a sweeper in the zone, and then froze Schwarber on the same."

"Henderson led off the fourth with a game-tying solo shot off Severino. The Dominican pitcher had gotten away with a few secondaries in deep counts just hanging out in the heart of the zone, but not so much for this cutter."

"After that, the game basically took on the same tenor in inning after inning: the D.R. threatened, but the score didn't change. In the fourth, there was a double, a single, and a hit-by-pitch, but Austin Wells chased a pitch outside and hit a routine flyout to end the threat."

In a WBC semifinal, the USA defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 in a game marked by defensive plays and missed opportunities rather than offensive fireworks. Paul Skenes started for the USA while Luis Severino pitched for the Dominican Republic. Junior Caminero gave the D.R. an early lead with a solo home run off Skenes. Gunnar Henderson tied the game with a solo shot in the fourth inning, and Roman Anthony put the USA ahead 2-1 with a home run off Gregory Soto. Despite multiple scoring opportunities for the Dominican Republic throughout the game, they failed to capitalize, with the USA's defense and pitching preventing further runs. The game featured strong pitching performances but limited offensive production overall.

Read at Battery Power