Dominican WBC loss ends on called strike that appeared low, a week before robot umps arrive in MLB

Dominican Republic Geraldo Perdomo reacts after striking out at the end of the ninth inning of a World Baseball Classic semifinal game against the United States, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

MIAMI — Ten days later, the United States and the Dominican Republic would have kept on playing.

Geraldo Perdomo watched Mason Miller’s full-count slider appear to drop just under the strike zone and took a step toward his team’s dugout on the third-base side, thinking he walked to put runners at the corners.

Then plate umpire Cory Blaser emphatically signaled strike three, stranding the potential tying run at third base and giving the United States a 2-1 win Sunday night that advanced the Americans to the World Baseball Classic championship game against Venezuela or Italy.

“He knew he was wrong,” Perdomo said. ”I knew it was 100% wrong.”

Major League Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System will launch when the season starts March 25, and it likely will be adopted for future editions of the WBC. The Dominicans would have been able to appeal to the so-called robot umpire if they had a challenge remaining.

“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.”

Perdomo heard the call, found it hard to believe and while still holding his bat lurched it overhead in an arc, nearly tapping the wood against his butt.

“We didn’t lose the game there,” the Arizona star said.

MLB announced in September that ABS will be used during the regular season and postseason in 2026 following testing that started in the minor leagues in 2019.

“I don’t want to focus on the last pitch,” Dominican manager Albert Pujols said. “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.”

One day later, U.S. manager Mark DeRosa credited catcher Will Smith for helping the pitch get called a strike, DeRosa said he thought the ball crossed some portion of the current human strike zone — a three-dimensional box rather than the straight line in the middle of the plate used by ABS.

“I can understand why Dominicans are upset about it,” DeRosa said Monday. “That ball had a lot of plate, and Will does a hell of a job in framing, but yeah, I’m in favor of ABS coming into the game.”

Miller threw 13 of 22 pitches at 100 mph or higher. He gave up a one-out walk to Julio Rodríguez, who advanced to third on a wild pitch and Oneil Cruz’s groundout.

Perdomo fell behind 1-2, worked the count full, then fouled off a pair of triple-digit heaters. Miller followed with his second slider of the at-bat.

“He called strike three. That’s all I care,” American first baseman Bryce Harper said.

___

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press