Team DR lost to the United States 2 to 1 in the quarterfinals. The pitching staff of the USA did its job on Sunday, 15 March 2026 in Miami at the loanDepot ball park.
Yet, baseball will never be the same. Winning pitcher Skenes himself noted what Team DR had brought to the World Classic when he said he wanted to bring that kind of excitement to Pittsburgh, as reported by MLB in its coverage on the USA win.
What happened? Could it have been that Tatis did not recover from his error in trying to outrun Aaron Judge when he violated the baseball adage “never make the first or last out at third base,” and sought to outrun Aaron Judge, the US team captain when Juan Soto was next at bat with runners that would have been on first and second to sneak in that needed winner run.
It seemed like the Dominican team in the game against the USA had lost its essence and took that game too seriously. The team that was slugging .637 as a team, higher than Aaron Judge’s career slug, the team that had scored 51 runs, an average of 10.2 into that game, was silenced and playing some one else’s game. [The way the DR basketball team in the 2027 qualifier defeating the USA.]
Oh, well, while the Dominican team was on a roll, it was “freaking fun” as several commented around the world.
What has to be said is that the Dominican team had the world watching baseball. The team phenomenon that seemed to be unstoppable, the team that into that game had scored on average 10.2 runs per game put the baseball world on fire. The team that set the new home run record at 15 with Junior Caminero’s solo homerun in the USA vs DR game. The team with the incredible lineup of Fernando Tatis Jr., Ketel Marte, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado and Caminero in its top-six.
“Freaking fun” is the way leading baseball chroniclers had been naming the Dominican Republic, many praying to see more and more, not wanting the WBC to come to an end. Baseball will never be the same.
The consensus of those watching the team: “I love the baseball classic this year,” and it’s thanks to the Dominican team.
Dominicans, even the poorest and even in tasking moments of life, have a way of mocking life and making a joke out of everything. That’s the Dominican way. The world had a glimpse of this way of being when the country’s best gathered in Miami as DR Team in the WBC for its first games before USA vs DR.
The joy of the ballplayers was markedly different from the seriousness and suffering of Venezuela or Japan or even the ceremonious way of the Koreans.
But add to that the memorable baseball acrobacies of the outstanding players and you had a series of games that for sure will be the most memorable of all WBC series. The videos show it all with that slide of Vladimir Guerrero flying through the air to ensure he gets to the plate. Likewise, the swim move of Juan Soto around the base to make it safe.
And then, the world seemed to celebrate with the joy of the Dominican players as they authentically shared their team spirit with the true joy of celebration on the faces of the team players as the players paraded down after a home run.
And the number of fans crowding the baseball stadiums on nights the DR was playing says it all. Listin Diario shared the data with only the games against the DR at the loanDepot ballpark packing in attendances of over 28,000. The game against USA (37,412 – capacity of 37,442 includes standing room), Venezuela (36,230), Nicaragua (35,127), The Netherlands (32,324) and Israel (28,728).
Thank you, Team DR!
Dolores Vicioso
Follow the story:
MLB
Listin Diario
Slow motion on the Juan Soto swim move
Juan Soto swim move
Juan Soto swim move as reported in Korea
MLB
Slides and flies by Soto and Vladimir
MLB
Bat flips ESPN
Team salute
16 March 2026