D.R. frustrated by blown call, but 'part of the game'

Two hours after a blown ball-strike call ended the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic, the clubhouse in Miami pulsed with music and defiant smiles. A 2-1 loss to Team USA sent the Americans to the finals, but Juan Soto insisted, “We showed the world who’s the best team in baseball.” The controversy centered on home-plate umpire Cory Blaser’s strike on Geraldo Perdomo’s full-count slider below the zone, one inning after a similar call on Soto. With no automated ball-strike challenges in the WBC, frustration lingered despite a record-setting Dominican power show and a taut, bullpen-driven game.