It's only been two days since these teams were on the field, but the Dominican Republic versus United States is creating a great buzz. Two of the top teams in the World Baseball Classic meet today in Marlins Park in a matchup that should leave many pleased and is likely to turn into a slug fest. Check out when, where and how you can catch the live action and also who will be on the mound for both squads as they attempt to slow down the opposing offense.
Firstly, game time is 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The USA will rightfully have homefield advantage as they will be closing out the innings. The good news for the Dominican Republic, as they have done time and time again in the tournament; they get to bat first before Team USA gets a chance to get to the plate.
Where to Watch: Catch the live action on MLB Network or MLB Network's online live stream, which we will also make available later on in the day.
[CHECK OUT OUR FORUM: DOES D.R. HAVE TOO MUCH SWAG?]
Right now, Major League Baseball has two of the tournament's hottest hitters in Robinson Cano and David Wright. The lucky news for the rest of the tournament is that these guys are on opposite teams. Had Cano and Wright been in the same squad then there wouldn't be any competition.
Cano and Wright are the driving forces in their respective teams. Cano, the second baseman of the Dominican Republic and Wright, the third baseman for USA are flashing the leather and packing a merciless punch on offense.
On the Mound: You can either look forward to seeing these guys take the hill or feel sorry for them as both squads are relentless offensively. It will be R.A. Dickey on the mound for Team USA, while Samuel Deduno takes the hill for Quisqueya.
Unlike Dickey, Deduno had a solid outing for the Dominican Republic in his first game defeating the Spaniards after throwing four scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Dickey suffered greatly with a flat knuckleball that the Mexicans feasted on giving up four runs in four innings pitched. The U.S. will need a better outing if they plan on having any success in this game.
Whoever wins automatically passes to the battle for Pool 2, the loser faces Puerto Rico in hopes of battling for placement in the semifinals.