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Aaron Judge had plenty of praise for the World Baseball Classic environment after Team USA narrowly defeated the Dominican Republic, 2-1, at loanDepot Park in Miami on Sunday.
Referee made an incredible defensive play when he threw Fernando Tatis Jr. out in an attempt to get to third base. The New York Yankees star also had a home run, or a probable double, taken away by center fielder Julio Rodriguez.
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U.S. right fielder Aaron Judge (99) runs after hitting a double during the first inning against Canada during a quarterfinal of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park on March 13, 2026. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
The atmosphere was electric, and Judge told reporters after the game that it was better than the World Series.
“It was bigger and better than the World Series,” he said. “The passion that these fans have, to represent their country, to represent some of their favorite players, there’s nothing like it.”
“You get chills standing there on the line when you hear them announce all the names,” he added. “It was like an All-Star team, they got over there.”
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United States’ Aaron Judge reacts after striking out during the eighth inning of a World Baseball Classic semifinal game against the Dominican Republic, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
More than 36,000 packed the Miami Marlins’ stadium to watch the World Baseball Classic semifinal. The crowd warmed up when Junior Caminero homered off Paul Skenes and roared a few more times as Team USA’s Gunnar Henderson tied the game and Roman Anthony hit the go-ahead run.
Anthony recalled the 2023 World Baseball Classic finals and revealed that he bought a ticket to see the United States, but they fell to Japan.
“When you come to the WBC here, you dream of representing this country and being here next,” Anthony said.
USA’s Aaron Judge gestures to the team after hitting a single during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic semifinal game against the Dominican Republic, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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The USA will now await the winner of the Venezuela-Italy match to see who they will face in the final.
