On Monday (March 13), Puerto Rico made World Baseball Classic history by throwing the first perfect game. Through eight innings, Puerto Rico allowed no hits and no runs, while scoring 10 runs of their own which forced a ‘mercy rule’ ending against Team Israel.
Puerto Rico’s José De León was the big star of the night, pitching 5.2 innings while amassing an impressive 10 strikeouts. Three other pitchers from Puerto Rico’s bullpen finished the job, allowing not a single baserunner. De León was only removed from the game due to a pitch limit set in place by the WBC for the first round. De León was given a rousing standing ovation from the crowd at Loan Depot Park in Miami.
Per MLB.com, De León expressed his feelings about his historic night.
“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.”
There have been no perfect games or no-hitters in WBC history, and for De León, being a part of history has to be vindicating after everything he has been through. When he first represented Puerto Rico in the WBC back in 2017, De León was a top prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system. After being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, he tore his right UCL during Spring Training in 2018, making his future in the league uncertain.
On the offensive side, team captain Francisco Lindor drove in three runs, with Enrique Hernandez also driving in three. “El Mago” Javier Báez had his best game of the tournament, including one of the most incredible stolen bases you will ever see.
The win gave Puerto Rico a 2-1 record so far in the tournament, giving them a chance to move on. They take on the Dominican Republic on Wednesday (March 15) night.