U.S. Win Against Dominican Republic In WBC Draws Sellout At Petco

The U.S. eliminated the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic last night before a "sellout crowd of 43,002" at Petco Park, beating the defending champions 6-3 to earn a spot in the semifinals. The U.S. will face Japan Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. This is the "second time in four editions of the WBC" that the U.S. has "advanced to the semifinals" (AP, 3/19). The fans at the stadium were "excited, with the Americans loudly chanting "USA! USA!" (ESPN.com, 3/19).

USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale writes, "You can't argue that this was USA's greatest victory in the WBC." The L.A. TIMES' Bill Shaikin writes this was the "best of the World Baseball Classic, the kind of night that brought to life the vision of this tournament: a sellout crowd, a nine-inning serenade of chants and cowbells and drums and horns, and a thriller between two of the world’s best teams." Shaikin: "It was loud. It was fun. It was tense."