WBC Daily: Team USA Reaches Championship Game; Italy-Venezuela Up Next

It wasn’t a high-scoring semifinal affair, but Team USA is back into the World Baseball Classic championship game. Two solo home runs against the Dominican Republic in Sunday’s semifinal were enough to keep the USA on track toward winning the 2026 title. One more game left. Who’ll be the opponent? It will be either Italy and Venezuela, who’ll play in the other semifinal game on Monday (8 p.m. ET on FS1). Recapping Sunday’s action and taking a peek at Monday’s second semifinal game: USA Into WBC Final, Holds Off Dominican Republic In a game filled with All-Stars, sluggers and home run machines, it was two solo shots by rather unlikely heroes that gave USA the 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic. Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony each went yard in the fourth inning to respond after Junior Caminero’s solo shot in the first inning, which accounted for all the scoring in front of a rowdy and electric crowd at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. Caminero’s shot was the 15th for Team D.R. at the tournament, setting a new record. Paul Skenes finished his Team USA duties with his start, where he went 4.1 innings pitched with one run given up. He goes 2-0 in the WBC after beating Mexico in the pool stage. Mason Miller struck out three in the ninth – Caminero, Oneil Cruz and Geraldo Perdomo – to get the save. Espresso vs. Arepas: Italy Ready For Venezuela It’s been one of the best storylines in the World Baseball Classic. Fueled by a busy espresso machine and plenty of red wine. Italy’s WBC runs continues with Monday’s semifinal game against traditional powerhouse Venezuela, who took out the reigning champions Japan in the quarterfinals. The battle on the mound for the game will be an MLB veteran against a budding youngster: Michael Lorenzen will start for Italy and Keider Montero for Venezuela. A 34-year-old right-hander, Lorenzen pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in the group stage 8-6 upset of the United States on Tuesday. “I faced him many times,’ said Italy manager Francisco Cervelli, a former big league catcher. “This is the perfect guy.” Lorenzen, an All-Star in 2023, was 7-11 with a 4.64 ERA in 26 starts and one relief appearances for Kansas City last year, then became a free agent and signed an $8 million, one-year contract with Colorado. If Italy wins, Aaron Nola would be lined up to start Tuesday night’s final against the U.S. or the Dominican Republic. Montero, a 25-year-old right-hander, pitched three scoreless innings of relief on Monday in a 4-0 first-round win over Nicaragua. He made his big league debut on May 29, 2024, and was 5-3 with a 4.37 ERA in 12 starts and eight relief appearances last year for Detroit during a season in which he was optioned to Triple-A Toledo six times. Monero was 4-4 with a 5.91 ERA in eight starts and two relief appearances for the Mud Hens. Montero had three postseason appearances last year and got a save in the AL Division Series opener, an 11-inning win over Cleveland.