Two home runs by Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony in the fourth inning, combined with a commanding pitching performance, proved sufficient for the host nation to overcome an early home run by Dominican slugger Júnior Caminero in the second inning.

Defense dominated a game that had promised offensive fireworks, given that both rosters featured the highest concentration of Major League Baseball stars in the tournament.

The Dominican Republic, appearing in its first semifinal since claiming its only title in 2013, had entered the contest as the tournament's most formidable team, having won all five of its previous games while setting a new record for home runs in a single Classic.

On Sunday, however, the bats of marquee names such as Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Fernando Tatis Jr. fell uncharacteristically silent, failing to drive in a single run.

As a silver lining, the Caribbean nation secured one of two Olympic berths for Los Angeles 2028 that were at stake for American hemisphere teams in this tournament.

For its part, the United States continues its pursuit of redemption following its defeat in the 2023 final against Shohei Ohtani's Japan. Team USA had raised serious doubts after nearly being eliminated in the group stage, but rallied decisively on Sunday, leaning on elite pitching talent including Paul Skenes, the reigning Cy Young Award winner.

"It wasn't the prettiest or cleanest game I've thrown," Skenes acknowledged. "I just wanted to put up as many zeros as possible and put us in a position to win. Everyone else did their job. It was really fun to watch."

Home Run Record

The evening in Miami began in favor of the Dominicans when Júnior Caminero launched a home run that broke the tournament record. The Tampa Bay Rays infielder's blast was the team's 15th of the Classic, surpassing the 14 hit by Mexico during the 2009 edition.

On the other side, starter Luis Severino managed several early threats until the United States responded with two runs in the fourth inning. Gunnar Henderson connected off the Oakland Athletics pitcher for a 400-foot drive to center field. Severino was then relieved by Gregory Soto, who was greeted immediately by a go-ahead home run from Roman Anthony.

Captain Aaron Judge nearly extended the lead, but his deep drive was tracked down at the wall of loanDepot Park by Julio Rodríguez in a spectacular catch.

Silenced Bats

Team USA then locked in defensively, with Judge making several outstanding plays in the outfield, including one to rob his former Yankees teammate Juan Soto. In the fourth inning, Skenes demonstrated his pedigree by escaping a bases-loaded jam, striking out Austin Wells to end the threat.

The Dominican Republic continued to press in the seventh inning with two runners on base, but the scoreboard remained frozen as the night wore on, to the growing frustration of the large Dominican fan base in Miami.

In the final inning, Julio Rodríguez reached base and advanced to second on a throwing error by closer Mason Miller. The Seattle Mariners outfielder moved to third on a ground ball mishandled by Oneil Cruz, but Geraldo Perdomo could not deliver the tying run, and the United States held on for the victory.