For the third consecutive edition, the United States team will play in the World Baseball Classic final after defeating the Dominican Republic 2-1 this Sunday in the tournament semifinals, played at LoanDepot Park in Miami.

Two solo home runs by Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony were enough to overcome Albert Pujols' Dominican Republic team Despite a home run by Junior Caminero, they couldn't capitalize on scoring opportunities when they had runners in scoring position. The duel between two of the tournament's most powerful offenses ended with a narrow margin. The United States managed to contain a star-studded Dominican lineup thanks to a solid performance by starter Paul Skenes and a bullpen that preserved the lead during the second half of the game. Skenes, the National League Cy Young Award winner, pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one run and six hits. After his departure, the American relievers maintained control of the game and did not allow any additional runs to a Dominican offense that had been one of the most productive in the tournament. The game also featured several defensive plays that marked key moments. In the third inning, Aaron Judge made an assist from right field to throw out Fernando Tatis Jr. at third base, stopping an offensive threat. Later, Dominican Julio Rodriguez responded with another spectacular play, scaling the center field fence to steal Judge of a home run. The tie was broken in the fourth inning. Gunnar Henderson hit a home run off Dominican starter Luis Severino to tie the game, and shortly after, Roman Anthony punished a pitch from Gregory Soto on a full count, sending the ball out of the park to make it 2-1, the final score. A controversial ending: The Dominican Republic had its last chance in the ninth inning. Julio Rodriguez drew a walk and advanced to third, but closer Mason Miller contained the threat. With two outs, he struck out Geraldo Perdomo with a pitch that appeared to be slightly below the strike zone to seal the American victory and secure their place in the final tournament.The team managed by Mark DeRosa will play in the World Series final this Tuesday against the winner of the match between Italy and Venezuela.