Israel lost to the Dominican Republic 10-1 today.
The two teams faced off for the first time since 2023. The Dominican Republic won that game 10-0 in a seven inning mercy rule.
1-2 Israel entered with momentum after a 5-0 win over Nicaragua yesterday. 3-0 Dominican Republic stood out as the juggernaut of the pool, scoring 24 runs in the tournament.
Israel left-handed pitcher Ryan Prager received the ball for his third professional start. The Cleveland Guardians’ 2025 ninth-round pick set down three MLB All-Stars in the first inning, sending Ketel Marte and Juan Soto back to the bench despite loud flyball outs.
The Dominican Republic gave Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello the starting assignment. He worked quickly with a strikeout of Spencer Horwitz. Noah Mendlinger, newly moved up to hitting second, drove a ball deep into left center but not enough for Israel’s first hit.
Israel’s streak of ten scoreless innings snapped in the second. The Dominican Republic needed just one hit to score five runs. Prager, unlike any point in his college or minor league career, faltered with command, walking four of the first six hitters.
leadoff hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered, crushing a changeup 400 feet over the Israel bullpen for a grand slam.
New Israel reliever Zack Weiss took over for Prager. He recorded an inning-ending lineout to limit the damage. He stayed in for a 1-2-3 third inning, coaxing a double play out of Junior Caminero, MLB’s 2025 leader in double plays
Brayan Bello carved Israel hitters in the first time through the order. He allowed one barrel and struck out five, culminating in three swinging strikeouts in the third inning. Israel resembled its muted offense against Venezuela starter Enmanuel De Jesus instead of their improvements against Nicaragua’s Carlos Rodriguez.
Oneil Cruz, normally the center fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, fired up the Dominican Republic’s diehard fans. He clobbered a line drive home run at 115 MPH into right field off a 93 MPH Weiss fastball. Weiss limited the damage, but Israel still trailed 6-0.
Spencer Horwitz responded to his Pirates teammate with a home run of his own. He smoked a middle-middle fastball over the head of right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. for his first World Baseball Classic home run. Israel recorded multiple home runs in the tournament for the first time since 2017.
Daniel Federman entered the game for his second relief appearance of the tournament. He looked for a bounceback after allowing four runs on three walks against Venezuela. Federman struck out Tatis Jr. on four pitches and worked weak groundouts from Marte and Soto.
Left-hander Gregory Soto took over for Bello to start the sixth inning. He fired off his first eight pitches for strikes, punching out Matt Mervis and Colby Halter. In an 0-2 count, Spencer Horwitz fouled off a 98 MPH fastball to avoid a historic immaculate inning.
Israel’s bats woke up against new reliever Carlos Estevez in the seventh. Noah Mendlinger continued his torrid tournament with a leadoff 102 MPH double to right field. An RJ Schreck walk and a Cole Carrigg groundout put runners on second and third with two outs.
Garrett Stubbs, Team Israel’s 2023 hero, came up short with a weak flyball to left field.
The Dominican Republic continued to torment Israel pitchers, loading the bases with no outs in the eighth. Agustin Ramirez picked up an RBI groundout to make it a 9-1 game.
Former Miami Marlins pitcher Jake Fishman came out of the bullpen for Israel with runners on second and third. He stranded both and avoided the mercy rule for Israel.
Fishman stayed in for the ninth inning and recorded two outs before plunking Manny Machado. Israel needed one more out to be the first team to keep the Dominican Republic without double-digit runs scored.
Erik Gonzalez ripped a line drive off the third base bag and past a diving Jake Gelof. Machado hustled around the bases and initially planned to stop at third. A misplay by Zach Levenson in the left field corner provided the green light for Machado to score, giving the Dominican Republic its tenth run.
The Dominican Republic sent closer Seranthony Dominguez to the mound for the final three outs. He silenced Israel’s top of the order and picked up the 13th strikeout of the game for the Dominican Republic.
Israel will close its pool competition tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. against the 1-2 Netherlands.
