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By Cole Sullivan
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In one of the most memorable showdowns in recent memory, Team USA baseball, led by a dominant performance from starting pitcher Paul Skenes, defeated a loaded Dominican Republic roster 2‑1 in the World Baseball Classic semifinals.
The game ended amid some controversy over a questionable final strike call, but there were numerous moments throughout the contest where the Dominican Republic had chances to score. Thanks to Skenes, along with relievers Tyler Rogers, Griffin Jax, David Bednar, Garrett Whitlock, and Mason Miller, the U.S. managed to escape multiple jams.
Even so, Skenes made an honest admission during his postgame press conference, revealing just how formidable the Dominican Republic lineup was.
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“It’s the toughest lineup I’ve ever faced for sure,” Skenes said. “I think they would say the same thing about facing us.”
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The Dominican Republic lineup was stacked with stars, including Fernando Tatis Jr., Ketel Marte, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Junior Caminero, and Julio Rodriguez. The roster also featured talented players such as Oneil Cruz, Austin Wells, and Geraldo Perdomo, all of whom took at-bats on Sunday night.
Skenes, however, limited the damage. Aside from a solo home run from Caminero that opened the scoring, he pitched one out into the fifth inning, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out two batters.
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After a dominant stretch through his two starts in the World Baseball Classic — including a strong outing in the semifinal to help Team USA baseball reach the title game — Skenes completed his WBC workload, and Team USA will turn to Nolan McLean to start the championship on Tuesday.
McLean is expected to pitch a limited outing in the final, likely around a 65‑ to 70‑pitch count, against the winner of Monday night’s Venezuela‑Italy semifinal.
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