Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony hit home runs to give the United States the lead over the Dominican Republic

Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony each hit home runs to give the United States the lead over the Dominican Republic.

Team USA is headed back to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final, as they toppled the Dominican Republic, 2-1, in a thriller in Miami on Sunday night. 

The U.S., who fell to Japan in the WBC final in 2023, will look for redemption against either Venezuela or Italy, who play their semifinal matchup on Monday night.

The hype and hysteria coming into this contest between two world baseball powerhouses lived up to it all despite what the box score said. Both teams came in clutch during key moments, while matching the raucous energy of the crowd. 

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Roman Anthony of Team United States runs around the bases after hitting a solo home run against Team Dominican Republic during the fourth inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Of course, the Dominican Republic dugout and faithful went ballistic when Junior Caminero, the 22-year-old Tampa Bay Rays rising star, belted a hanging breaking ball from Skenes in the bottom of the second inning with two strikes. The ball was pelted to left field at over 400 feet, and their patented celebration ensued. 

The DR got the first strike off Skenes, who had been looking forward to this start against a lineup littered with some of the best baseball players in MLB. But two innings later, it was Team USA’s own young stars who turned the game around in their favor. 

Gunnar Henderson, who manager Mark DeRosa chose to play at third base, his secondary position as a shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, over Alex Bregman, one of the best defensive players at the hot corner in MLB, due to how well he hit Luis Severino. The veteran right-hander was amped for his start for the DR, and his emotion showed it. 

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However, DeRosa’s decision came down to how much success Henderson had against Severino. The decision paid off, as Henderson hit a moon shot over the right-center field fence to tie the game at one apiece. 

Severino was pulled after one more batter for Gregory Soto, who was facing Boston Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony, the 21-year-old who has had a great first appearance in the WBC. After running the count full, Anthony took advantage of a fastball right down the middle, launching it over the center field wall to take a 2-1 lead. 

Paul Skenes of Team United States reacts after giving up a home run to Junior Caminero #13 (not pictured) of Team Dominican Republic during the second inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The entire American dugout was on the field, as Anthony motioned across his chest, showing off his pride as he celebrated with teammates. 

It was just what Team USA needed in the top of the fourth inning, especially after having runners at second and third with one out in the previous frame and not being able to get runs across. Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber both struck out to end the inning, which fired up Severino who screamed toward Team USA’s dugout. 

But Judge clearly let that go from his head, as he had a crucial defensive play in the bottom of the third inning when he gunned down Fernando Tatis Jr. trying to go from first base to third. Tatis, who is a fast runner, was out by a mile, with Judge proving his elbow, which caused issues in 2025, is more than fine heading into the 2026 season. 

The Dominicans ultimately chased Skenes from the game after 4.1 innings, as his final line read six hits, one earned run on the Caminero homer and two strikeouts. Severino lasted 3.1 innings, giving up five hits while striking out six Team USA hitters in an impressive outing that saw triple-digit fastballs on the radar gun. 

Luis Severino of Team Dominican Republic reacts after striking out Kyle Schwarber #12 (not pictured) of Team United States to end the third inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The U.S. knew a 2-1 lead was not enough, but as the Dominican bullpen continued to stifle their bats, and Julio Rodriguez appeared to rob a home run from Judge, they needed their own relievers to come through. After Tyler Rogers and Griffin Jax did their jobs, David Bednar found himself in some trouble with runners on second and third with one out – the same situation Judge and Schwarber found themselves in – in the bottom of the seventh. 

But Bednar, who escaped a similar situation against Canada in the quarterfinals, struck out Tatis and Ketel Marte to get out of the jam and keep the score the same. 

Garrett Whitlock was solid in the eighth inning to keep the one-run lead alive, which led to the easiest decision for DeRosa on the night: Mason Miller to pitch the ninth. 

The San Diego Padres All-Star closer got a strikeout to start the inning, but things got interesting when he walked Rodriguez and Will Smith couldn't handle a pitch from Miller that allowed a free pass to second base. 

Gunnar Henderson of Team USA rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning of the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Team Dominican Republic at loanDepot park on Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos)

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Oneil Cruz moved Rodriguez to third on a groundnut to Bobby Witt Jr., leaving Geraldo Perdomo as the DR's last hope. He had a clutch at-bat earlier in the game, one that could've tied it up if Wells read the line drive to center field better from second base. 

But Miller got Perdomo looking on a 3-2 slider at the bottom of the zone to secure Team USA's spot in the WBC final.

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Tennessee Volunteers catcher Stone Lawless thought he had given his team the lead in the top of the ninth inning against the Georgia Bulldogs on Sunday, but his dramatic bat slam was all for naught.

Lawless drove Bulldogs pitcher Justin Byrd’s pitch deep to left field. He slammed the bat on the ground and began to celebrate with his teammates in the dugout. However, Georgia left fielder Cole Johnson leaped at the wall and robbed the home run.

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Tennessee’s Stone Lawless at bat against Nicholls during an NCAA college baseball game on Feb. 13, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Johnson and his Bulldogs teammates celebrated the 8-7 win. Lawless was stunned.

"Initially, I didn't think it was a no-doubter. I thought he caught the ball off the end of the bat," Georgia head coach Wes Johnson said after the game, via the team’s website. "When Cole was going back, he works on that stuff. He gets after it in batting practice and works on that. Then when I saw him make the catch, I couldn't believe it."

Cole Johnson said he knew that if the ball was going to be a home run, it would have been out of his reach.

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Tennessee catcher Stone Lawless (27) hits a fly ball during the SEC Baseball Tournament Semifinals game between Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores on May 24, 2025, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"I knew it was going to be right up against the wall, and if it was a homer, it wasn't going to be out by much," he said. "I was just trying to get my back against the wall as quick as I could."

Tennessee had a 6-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning, but a five-run inning in the bottom of the frame put Georgia up. Bryce Callaway’s three-run home run helped give Georgia the lead.

A Georgia baseball cap during the men's college baseball game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on March 3, 2024 at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Georgia. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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The Bulldogs are 17-4 on the year. Tennessee fell to 14-6.

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