The United States national baseball team reached the championship game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic with a 2–1 semifinal win over the Dominican Republic Sunday night at loanDepot Park in Miami, but the game’s ending stirred controversy due to a critical strike call.

In the bottom of the ninth inning with the potential tying run at third base, pitcher Mason Miller threw a full‑count slider that was called strike three by home‑plate umpire Cory Blaser. The decision ended the game immediately, leaving Dominican batter Geraldo Perdomo stranded and igniting criticism from fans and analysts who argued the pitch was outside the strike zone.

Social media and observers widely debated the call, with many suggesting that Major League Baseball’s upcoming Automated Ball‑Strike (ABS) system, scheduled to launch for the regular season later this month, might have overturned the decisive pitch if available. Critics noted that other questionable strike calls earlier in the game also affected the matchup.

Team USA opened the scoring in the game’s fourth inning with solo home runs and held a slim lead, backed by strong pitching from starter Paul Skenes and contributions from the bullpen. The Dominican Republic scored its lone run early but was unable to plate another before the controversial final out.

Despite the dispute, the win secured the United States a spot in the WBC final, where they will face either Venezuela or Italy for the championship. Dominican manager Albert Pujols declined to directly criticize the final call in his postgame comments, saying the result simply “wasn’t meant to be” for his team.

The controversy has already led to debate among fans, analysts, and former players about officiating standards in international baseball and the role of technology in officiating high‑stakes games going