The United States got a little lucky on Sunday night, defeating the Dominican Republic with the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Americans got the benefit of what can only be described as a favorable strike call, as Mason Miller struck out Geraldo Perdomo looking.
A tough call to end the game pic.twitter.com/klQgw8S8Q3
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 16, 2026
A tough call is one way to put it. The Dominicans were rightly upset in the moment and postgame. Superstar Juan Soto, who was the victim of a bad call the previous inning, didn't hide his emotions. Manager Albert Pujols took the opposite approach, claiming the loss was 'meant to be'.
Umpire who gifted Team USA a WBC win has done this before
MLB umpire Cory Blaser was the man behind home plate on Sunday night. Per certain statistical resources, Blaser ranked 53rd in ball-strike accuracy among MLB umpires last season. Rob Manfred didn't exactly send out the best of the best for baseball's international showcase, did he?
Not to mention that home plate ump Cory Blaser was 53rd in ball-strike accuracy among MLB umpires last year.
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) March 16, 2026
Not exactly sending out the best of the best, either.
Real shame that's how that game ended. https://t.co/62yqDMzPj2
It doesn't help matters that, for some reason, the World Baseball Classic decided not to feature ABS this time around when MLB and several other leagues have. While ABS is not a perfect system, it does give managers the chance to challenge poor calls. Pujols surely would've done so if he had any challenges left at that point in the game.
"It's part of the game," Dominican Republic general manager Nelson Cruz told ESPN. "You lost by inches. We'll have ABS in a few years, so hopefully next time we can challenge plays like that.
Soto, as previously mentioned, took a different approach, telling ESPN that the Dominican Republic "showed the world who's the best team in baseball." If that's not a shot, I don't know what is.
MLB fans applaud Cory Blaser for helping Team USA beat the Dominican Republic
Team USA fans were conflicted in how the game ended. Sure, the Americans are headed to the WBC final, but was it truly earned? Blaser, who is an average MLB umpire at best, essentially gifted the USA a free trip to the Final. Meanwhile, a team that exhibited exuberance and joy throughout the tournament, the Dominican Republic, was sent packing.
HP Umpire Cory Blaser - American hero. pic.twitter.com/lG0XpHvKbl
— Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) March 16, 2026
Cory Blaser should never pay for a drink again
— TorkIsKing (@TorkIsKing) March 16, 2026
pic.twitter.com/upxE7b9Pdy
Glad the US won, but Cory Blaser did a tremendous job showing why the ABS challenge system is coming to MLB this year… 😬
— Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) March 16, 2026
Happy Team USA is advancing, but two horrendous calls in the 8th and 9th from Cory Blaser. pic.twitter.com/V9Jwjo2ija
— Ted (@tlschwerz) March 16, 2026
Of course, blaming an umpire for a nine-inning loss is shortsighted. The DR had their chances, but ultimately fell short thanks to an impressive pitching performance from Paul Skenes and the USA bullpen.
What can MLB do to help fix the World Baseball Classic?
The first step should be to install ABS next time around. While there is no fixing bad umpiring, even with a challenge system in place, giving players and managers a chance to rebuttal is essential, and takes some of the blame off of the boys in blue.
What makes the lack of ABS even more odd is that the World Baseball Classic has a pitch clock this year, which already confused multiple pitchers and led to several violations. At that point, why not add in ABS? Leave it up to the managers and players to learn when it's best to challenge. Instead, we're left with a semifinal controversy that could've been easily avoided.
The vast majority of WBC rules are just fine. Pitch limits make sense, especially since the best players are preparing for their respective MLB seasons. MLB participation is essential for a successful WBC. Anything that aids such a relationship is a net positive. Mercy rules, a DH and even tiebreakers have been installed to make this tournament as self-explanatory as possible.
But all of that couldn't stop last night's embarrassment, and now an entire country is left wondering what if.