In covering the USA vs DR loss, DR1 had concluded baseball would never be the same after the DR Team participation in the 2026 WBC. Now the controversy over the last pitch in the game, with the tying run on third base, may be remembered as a pivotal moment in baseball history.
The Sunday, 15 March 2026 DR vs USA game at loanDepot Park in Miami ended in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on third and two outs. With a full count, Miller threw a pitch that home-plate umpire Cory Blaser called strike three, instantly ending the Dominican Republic’s tournament run.
Perdomo was convinced the ball fell well below the hitting zone. Thus, when home-plate umpire Cory Blaser signaled for a third strike, Perdomo reacted in frustration.
“It was the whole tournament, but we didn’t lose the game right there,” Perdomo concluded. “That’s a part of the game, and I hope we do better next time.”
USA Team manager Mark DeRosa subsequently spoke to the controversy when he stated: “I can understand why Dominicans are upset about it.” He credited catcher Will Smith for his framing, noting that while the pitch caught “a lot of the plate,” it looked “a little down” on the replay.
DeRosa’s remarks reignited the debate over the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system. DeRosa explicitly expressed his support for bringing the “robot umpire” technology into the game to avoid high-stakes outcomes being decided by human error.
Player Pete Crow-Armstrong was happy about the status quo. “It looked a little down. Yes, I’m glad we had no ABS,” U.S. outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m happy that the human element was in full effect.”
MLB baseball will be implementing Automated Ball Technology as of 25 March 2026 when the new MLB season starts. Given the current WBC rules, on that Sunday, 15 March day, DR team manager Albert Pujols could not have rejected or challenged the call.
Because the technology was not officially part of the tournament’s rules, there was no mechanical or legal “rejection” possible. The umpire’s decision on the field was final and unreviewable.
Pujols’ post-game stance
True to his reputation for sportsmanship, team field manager Pujols declined to use the missed call as an excuse. In his post-game press conference, he stated: “I don’t want to focus on the last pitch. I’m disappointed about the way that the game ends, but I don’t want to criticize any of that. It just wasn’t meant to be for us.”
The statistical reality is another. Had a challenge been possible, it almost certainly would have been successful. MLB Gameday and PITCHf/x data confirmed the 3-2 slider from Mason Miller was approximately 3.5 inches below the bottom of the strike zone.
What the media had to say:
The Associated Press (AP): Highlighted the irony of the loss, noting the “robot umps” arrive in MLB just a week after this human error decided a global tournament.
Sports Illustrated (SI): Characterized the ending as an “Awful Strike Three Call” and focused on the technical disparity—specifically how the Mason Miller slider was “clearly low” but masked by catcher Will Smith’s framing.
FOX Sports: During the postgame broadcast, Alex Rodriguez expressed disappointment, stating, “You just hate to end a game this big… on a pitch that’s not a strike.” Fox also circulated slow-motion replays on social media that explicitly showed the ball below the zone.
ESPN: Provided the platform for Geraldo Perdomo’s reaction, where he stated he was “100% sure” it was a ball. “I knew 100% it was a ball,” Perdomo, who plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks had admitted after his national team’s elimination, via ESPN. “I knew it.” ESPN’s analysis focused on the “Gameday” strike zone data that confirmed the pitch was significantly below the knees.
Heavy.com: Captured the wider cultural impact, including a viral reaction from NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns (who has represented the DR in basketball), calling the ending “some bulls**t.”
While the final strikeout of Geraldo Perdomo was the definitive “viral” moment, it was not the only call that drew significant criticism. Reports from ESPN, Fox Sports, and PITCHf/x data also indicate a pattern of low-zone inconsistencies by home plate umpire Cory Blaser throughout the 15 March 2026 game.
The following calls were the most disputed:
- Juan Soto (Bottom of the 8th)
Before the Perdomo finale, the Dominican Republic’s momentum was stalled in the 8th inning.
The Situation: With the DR trailing 2-1, Juan Soto faced USA reliever Garrett Whitlock.
The Pitch: On a 1-2 count, Whitlock threw a slider that PITCHf/x and MLB Gameday graphics later confirmed was several inches below the bottom of the strike zone.
The Reaction: Blaser called it strike three. Soto was visibly incensed, gesturing toward the ground and lingering at the plate to protest. Jeff Passan (ESPN) later noted, “That is a bad strike three call… Absolutely cannot happen in a game like this.”
- Fernando Tatis Jr. & Ketel Marte (Bottom of the 7th)
While less “clear-cut” than the 8th and 9th inning calls, the Dominican dugout expressed frustration during a high-leverage 7th inning.
The Situation: The DR had runners on second and third with two outs against USA’s David Bednar.
The Call: Both Tatis Jr. and Marte took “looking” strikes on pitches that the Dominican broadcast team argued were being called inconsistently compared to the top half of the inning. While Statcast showed these were closer to the “black” (the edge of the plate) than the Soto/Perdomo pitches, they contributed to the “human error” narrative.
One call in favor of team DR
To provide balance, the media also noted one instant when Team USA faced a questionable “looking” strikeout.
The Situation: USA had the bases loaded with one out against Dominican starter Luis Severino.
The Call: Severino painted a full-count pitch that Aaron Judge believed was high/outside. Blaser called it a strike, helping Severino escape the jam without allowing a run. This was often cited by US fans to argue that Blaser was “consistently large” with his zone rather than biased.
Team DR’s manager postgame statement on controversy
Meanwhile, general manager Nelson Cruz had a philosophical answer when asked about the game-deciding call.
“It’s part of the game,” Cruz stated, per ESPN. “You lost by inches. We’ll have ABS in a few years, so hopefully next time we can challenge plays like that.“
Read more:
Sports Illustrated
The Guardian
Click Orlando
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DR1 News
18 March 2026