'No ... let me hit': Soto calls game with HR to seal DR's run-rule romp

MIAMI -- A small band marched through the concourse at loanDepot park shortly before Sunday’s game, working the Dominican Republic fans into a lather before the first pitch was even thrown.

The party didn’t stop for more than two hours, as the D.R. lineup kept the drummers busy all afternoon, belting four home runs on the way to a 12-1 victory over the Netherlands.

Juan Soto's seventh-inning home run proved to be the winner, as the game ended thanks to the World Baseball Classic rule that calls a game in regulation during pool play if a team is leading by 15 or more runs after the fifth inning or 10-plus runs after the seventh.

“No matter if you win by one run or by knockout, the most important thing is to win the game,” Dominican manager Albert Pujols said. “We have a very good team with a great offense, a very good bullpen, starters, you name it. The credit is all for the guys; they are extremely motivated.”

The Dominican Republic will try to improve to 3-0 Monday afternoon when it takes on Israel (12 p.m ET on FS1), while the Netherlands will play its next game on Tuesday night, also against Israel (7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports App), looking to finish pool play with a 2-2 record.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s two-run blast in the third gave the Dominicans some early breathing room, while Junior Caminero and Austin Wells continued the power party with homers in a six-run fifth that broke the game open.

The D.R. has hit seven home runs in its first two games, joining Venezuela as the only 2-0 teams in Pool D. The loss dropped the Netherlands to 1-2, leaving them in a precarious position in terms of advancing to the next round.

“I have seen so many good lineups, but this kind of lineup in a Classic? Wow, that's too much,” Netherlands manager Andruw Jones said. “They are very powerful.”

Luis Severino allowed one run over four innings, the lone blemish coming on a home run by Didi Gregorius, his former Yankees teammate.

The Netherlands’ bullpen-game strategy was no match for the Dominicans’ star-studded lineup, as starter Arij Fransen and a parade of six relievers didn’t help themselves, issuing 11 walks to the D.R in total.

Guerrero launched his first homer of the WBC in the third, setting off a celebratory scene between home plate and the Dominican dugout that included multiple handshake routines and a customized home run jacket that features the names of the entire team.

“We're trying to find something to celebrate with a home run,” Guerrero said. “I think the jacket is unique for us.”

Vladdy wouldn’t hang on to the jacket for long.

Caminero’s home run was his second in two games, coming one at-bat after he had been hit by a pitch. He crushed a 3-1 pitch from right-hander Wendell Floranus a Statcast-projected 424 feet to left field, giving the Dominicans a 7-1 lead. The home run clocked in at 115.8 mph off the bat, the second-hardest homer hit in the past two Classics (since pitch-tracking began) behind the 116.8 mph moonshot hit by teammate Oneil Cruz on Friday.

“I said that I would come here as a water boy if they needed me; this is a team full of stars,” Caminero said. “I'm confident. I have achieved good results, and we hope to continue like that.”

Two batters later, Wells’ two-run blast gave the D.R. a 9-1 lead, while Ketel Marte’s sac fly capped the six-run outburst.

“They have a very powerful lineup,” Jones said. “From the first all the way down to the ninth, they can hit a homer.”

With a nine-run lead and the game seemingly well in hand, Pujols planned to remove some of his starters, giving his bench players an opportunity to see some action. Fully aware that one more run would end the game early, Soto wasn’t on board with that plan.

“I knew that I would bat in the next inning,” Soto said. “I wanted to help the guys in the bullpen. He wanted to take me out, and I said, ‘No, let's continue, let me hit.’”

With two outs and a runner at first base, Soto lived up to his word, launching the first pitch he saw into the seats in right-center field. Soto turned to his dugout and pointed as if to say, “I told you so” to his manager.

“It's a beautiful experience,” Soto said. “The homer sealed the game today, but we have a long way to go yet.”