Team Israel was on the wrong side of history in its second game of the World Baseball Classic on Monday evening, losing to Puerto Rico by a score of 10-0 at loanDepot Park in Miami.
The lopsided loss was bad enough, but Puerto Rico pitchers held Israel without a hit or any other base runner over eight innings. The game ended in the bottom of the eighth inning thanks to the WBC”s mercy rule, when Puerto Rico scored its tenth run of the game.
The game is the first perfect game in WBC history, though it would not have been a perfect in Major League Baseball, as a no-hitter needs to be at least nine innings in order to be official per the Elias Sports Bureau.
Pitchers José De León, who pitched 5 2/3 perfect innings, was followed by Yacksel Ríos (one-third of an inning), Edwin Díaz (one inning) and Duane Underwood Jr. (one inning) who finished the perfect game.
Israel”s starting pitcher Colton Gordon, a prospect with the Houston Astros, struggled. He lasted just one inning and allowed four earned runs.
Team Israel will play their third game in the tournament on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. EDT. They will be facing another tough opponent in the Dominican Republic who secured a win over Nicaragua on Monday afternoon.
Monday”s loss followed a good opening game for Israel, which rallied in the eighth inning on Sunday to defeat Nicaragua.
