Team Puerto Rico made World Baseball Classic history on Monday. The Puerto Ricans walked off Team Israel in the eighth inning via the mercy rule. And with that, they clinched perfection.
Puerto Rico pitched the first perfect game in World Baseball Classic history. Four pitchers combined to achieve the feat, with a standout performance coming from starter Jose De Leon.
De Leon pitched 5.2 innings on Monday, striking out 10 Israel batters. Yacksel Rios, Edwin Diaz, and Duane Underwood Jr. finished off the contest.
“He's worked so hard to be in this position,” Puerto Rico manager Yadier Molina said post-game about De Leon. “Pitch for your country. Pitch in front of your family. I mean, to have this, it's amazing.”
Officially, the game goes down as a no-hitter. Perfect games are officially defined as full nine-inning games without a baserunner. This game went eight innings, as Puerto Rico took a 10-run lead after the seventh inning.
Puerto Rico had a completely different experience on Sunday. They lost a tough 9-6 contest to Venezuela. Even with today's victory, their game on Wednesday against the Dominican Republic is a must-win for Puerto Rico.
A few teams have already qualified for the next round of the World Baseball Classic. Pool A winner Cuba will take on Pool B runner-up Australia on March 15 in the first quarterfinal.
Elsewhere, the undefeated Pool B winner Japan has a date with Pool A runner-up Italy in the second quarterfinal. The other quarterfinal matchups have yet to be determined. They begin on Friday and Saturday.
The World Baseball Classic comes to an end on March 21. The two semifinal winners play in Miami, Florida for the championship, with the game airing on FS1 in the US.
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