The United States of America and the Dominican Republic might have played the highest-level game in the history of the World Baseball Classic, but it ended in controversy on Sunday night.
After three solo shots between the two teams, Team USA were up 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth with flamethrower closer Mason Miller coming in to try and get the Americans into the final.
Miller got two outs, but a walk and a passed ball on a botched slider left the Dominicans with a man on third with two outs.
With powerful masher Oneil Cruz called in off the bench to give the Dominican Republic their best chance at catching up with Miller’s heat, the two went to battle in an elongated battle that saw Cruz foul off multiple 100 mph pitches.
As it went to 3-2 and the game hung in the balance, Miller went low for the final pitch of the game. Cruz stood his ground, seeing it as a ball, and the umpire thought differently, calling it a strike and a win for Team USA.
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The umpiring, which has been substandard for the entire tournament, reared its ugly head at the worst possible time. Cruz and the Dominican team watched in horror as the clear ball call gave the Americans the win in what was a battle for the ages.
“Terrible call,” a fan posted on social media. “Los Domincanos were robbed. To be sure, with better baserunning, the DR would’ve been tied, maybe would even have already won it, but they got screwed by one of the worst umpires in MLB.”
“Umpire had money on that game, ain’t no way,” posted another user on X.
“What a gift from the home plate umpire,” chimed in another fan. “6 inches below the strike zone: “Strike 3!”
While there are thousands of angry messages and cries of robbery, one post from a baseball fan might have summed up the entire ordeal.
“The greatest game was completely ruined by that home plate umpire.”
