The selection of Dominican Republic showed all its offensive power by defeating 12-1 Netherlands by way of knockout in seven innings in the World Baseball Classic 2026in a match played at LoanDepot Park.
The game ended early thanks to the mercy rule, which establishes the end of the game if a team has a lead of 10 or more runs after the seventh inning in the group stage.
Dominican Home Run Festival
The Dominican offense hit four home runs to lead to a resounding victory. The decisive hit came in the seventh inning when Juan Soto He hit a home run that sealed the win.
Before, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had led the way with a two-run homer in the third inning, while Junior Caminero and Austin Wells also joined the offensive festival during a six-run fifth inning that practically sealed the game.
Caminero especially stood out with a powerful 424-foot drive to left field that came off the bat at 115.8 mph, one of the strongest home runs recorded in recent editions of the tournament.
Severino controls from the mound
On the mound, Luis Severino had a solid performance, allowing just one run in four innings.
The only score for the Dutch came thanks to a solo home run by Didi Gregorius, Severino’s former teammate on the New York Yankees.
The Netherlands bullpen tried to stop the Dominican attack using several relievers, but control was a constant problem, granting eight walks that facilitated the rival’s offensive production.
Dominican dominates Group D
With this victory, the Dominican Republic improves its record to 2-0 in Group D, joining Venezuela as the only undefeated teams in the sector.
For its part, the Netherlands falls to 1-2, leaving it in a difficult position in the fight to advance to the quarterfinals.
The Dominican team will seek to maintain its perfect pace when it faces Israel in its next match, while the Dutch will also face Israel trying to close the group stage with a 2-2 record.
With a star-studded lineup and seven home runs in its first two games, the Dominican Republic confirms its candidacy as one of the big favorites to win the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
