USA advances to WBC final after disputed ninth-inning strike

USA edged the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the World Baseball Classic semifinal on a controversial final strike called by home-plate umpire Cory Blaser, ending Geraldo Perdomo’s at-bat with the tying run on base. Replays and pitch-tracking suggested the slider was well below the zone, and Juan Soto had been rung up earlier on a similar pitch. The DR’s protest highlights how, under a future automatic ball-strike system, such calls might be challengeable, a feature not yet available in this event.