Team USA held on for a 5-3 win against Canada on Friday night at Daikin Park in Houston. It wasn't the dominant performance many expected from baseball's top-ranked squad. Canada rallied with a three-run burst capped by a Bo Naylor homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to keep things competitive deep into the game. But Team USA's David Bednar escaped danger in the seventh inning with a pop-out and two strikeouts against the heart of the opposing lineup, sealing the advancement to the semifinals.
While Team USA scraped by, the Dominican Republic improved to 5-0 in the WBC on Friday night, smashing Korea in a 10-0 rout. The D.R. put on an offensive clinic that speaks to their dominance. The Dominican Republic has already tied the WBC team record for homers with 14, and there are still two rounds left to play with them averaging more than 10 runs a game. Players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Austin Wells have been an unstoppable force in this tournament.
The United States and Dominican Republic are projected to face off in the first of two World Baseball Classic semifinals, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15. Paul Skenes will get the ball for the Americans against the loaded Dominican Republic lineup. Skenes, the defending NL Cy Young Award winner, will face Luis Severino in what's shaping up to be a pitcher's duel between two elite arms. FanDuel considers Team USA to be the favorite to win the WBC at +140 odds, with the Dominican Republic at +160. The Dominican Republic reached the final just once before in 2013 when it won the championship, while Team USA has reached the final in each of the last two tournaments. The winner advances to face either Italy or Venezuela in the championship game on March 17.