Watch: Bautista guns out Colombia's Mercado to save Dominican Republic

For a split second, Colombia thought it had defeated the World Baseball Classic's defending champ.

That was until Jose Bautista's cannon of a throw saved the Dominican Republic.

With one out and runners on the corners in the bottom of the ninth, Colombia looked to secure a momentous win over the Dominican with a sac fly off the bat of Reynaldo Rodriguez.

But after Oscar Mercado patiently tagged up at third, Bautista unleashed a perfect throw from left to nab Mercado at the plate, sending the game into extras, and incensing the Colombian side, which argued - to no avail - that backstop Welington Castillo blocked Mercado's basepath.

Bautista's throw was clocked at 88 mph, according to Daren Willman of MLB.com - harder than all but two throws Bautista made all of last season.

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)