Puerto Rico throws WBC perfect game in mercy rule win over Israel

*Photo from ESPN*

   This is one of those World Baseball Classic oddities that we might never see again. Jose De Leon started it, Duane Underwood Jr ended it, and Team Puerto Rico defeated Team Israel with a 10-0 victory on Monday evening in Miami.

   In Pool D play, Puerto Rico defeated Israel in only 8 innings due to the WBC's 10 run mercy rule after 7 innings. But, this was no regular mercy rule win. Puerto Rico pitching retired all 24 hitters they faced, good for an 8 inning perfect game. It won't go in as a perfect game because it only went 8 innings, but it's a WBC first.

   De Leon said after the game in Spanish that "I’ve dreamt of a moment like this, to be honest with you. With everything that I’ve been through, I needed a moment like this to let the people in Puerto Rico know that I’m still here to stay and I want to show the world that José De León is still here. It was a special moment."

   Runs came in threes for the Puerto Rico offense in this game. They scored 3 runs in both the first and second innings, followed by 3 in the 5th inning. They won the game on a Kike Hernandez single in the 8th inning to make it a 10-0 score.

   The starter was De Leon, who struck out 10 hitters in 5 2/3 innings of work before being lifted. Yacksel Rios came in and got the final out of the 6th inning. Edwin Diaz pitched the 7th inning and Underwood Jr pitched the 8th to seal the perfecto.

   De Leon is currently on a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins as he represents Puerto Rico in his second WBC, also playing in the 2017 edition. He was lifted in the 6th with 64 pitches, one pitch away from the 65 pitch limit in WBC Pool play. His 10 strikeouts tied a single game WBC record held by Ubaldo Jimenez, who did it in 2009 with the Dominican Republic.

   Puerto Rico improves to 2-1 in the WBC with the win, heading for a showdown with the 1-1 Dominican Republic on Wednesday night. With Venezuela in control of Pool D, the Wednesday game between the two teams will likely decide who advances out of Pool D with Venezuela.