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The World Baseball Classic (WBC) continues to surprise fans all around the world. The fifth iteration of the team tournament has returned after a six-year hiatus and has already thrown up some fascinating storylines.
With history being made almost every day, here is a roundup of all the biggest stories from the WBC on March 14, 2023:
Puerto Rico beat Israel with an 8-inning perfect game
José De León made WBC history by pitching 5 2/3 perfect innings, a record for the tournament. He combined with three relievers to prevent Israel from reaching base in an 8-inning game that ended on a mercy rule. Technically, a no-hitter requires a minimum of nine innings to be made official, therefore Monday's game does not fully count.
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De León, who represented Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, has battled injuries that stalled his career, and he was released from the Cincinnati Reds in 2021.
He viewed his performance as an opportunity to show Puerto Rico and the world that he is still a force in baseball.
Team USA show title credentials with huge win over Canada
Team USA tied a World Baseball Classic record for runs in an inning by scoring nine in the bottom of the first against Canada. Captain Mike Trout hit a three-run home run in the first inning, leading the team to a 12-1 victory at Chase Field.
The game ended after 6.5 innings due to the mercy rule. The win put Team USA at 2-1 in Pool C, and a win against Colombia would advance them to the quarterfinals.
The team's impressive offensive display was a result of the patience and ferocity of the batting order, which was highlighted by Trout's first two plate appearances: a four-pitch walk, followed by a first-pitch fastball that he hit 405 feet, landing in the left-center-field bleachers for a three-run home run.
Not to be lost in the early offensive eruption was Lance Lynn's five innings of dominance, allowing just two hits and striking out six before turning the ball over to Miles Mikolas for the final two frames.
Great Britain beat Colombia in another Pool C surprise
Great Britain secured its first World Baseball Classic victory on Monday by beating Colombia 7-5. The victory was the culmination of a September 2022 run through the qualifying stage, which propelled Great Britain onto the global stage. The win also put the team in a strong position for progression to the quarterfinals.
Young outfielder Chavez Young was instrumental to the team’s success, becoming the first player in World Baseball Classic history to be credited with a steal of home on Sunday. Despite the defeat, Colombia still finds itself firmly in the running for one of the two tickets out of Pool C, while Great Britain will wrap up their pool action on Tuesday against Mexico.
Nicaraguan pitcher gets MLB contract after WBC game
Duque Hebbert, a 21-year-old right-hander for Team Nicaragua, made quite an impression during his outing against the Dominican Republic in Monday's World Baseball Classic game.
Hebbert took to the mound in the ninth inning against Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez, and Manny Machado, and struck out the two younger players before Machado hit a double. Hebbert then closed his appearance by striking out Rafael Devers.
Tigers scout Luis Molina saw Hebbert's work and offered him a contract following a short conversation. Hebbert's one-inning performance saw him throw 19 pitches, 14 of which were strikes.
