Pirates reliever Duane Underwood Jr. puts finishing touch on Puerto Rico's perfect win

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever Duane Underwood Jr. put the finishing touches on eight innings of perfection as Puerto Rico made history in the World Baseball Classic.

Underwood retired all three batters he faced in the eighth inning as Puerto Rico didn’t allow a baserunner in 10-0 mercy-rule win over Israel on Monday night in Pool D play at loanDepot Park in Miami. It won’t be recognized as a perfect game or no-hitter because only eight innings were played instead of the requisite nine.

Team Puerto Rico will remember this game forever. #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/mndRd5xxsK

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 14, 2023

Four Puerto Rican pitchers combined to shut down Israel, led by starter Jose De Leon’s 10 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Former Pirates right-hander Yacksel Rios got the final out of the sixth inning, New York Mets All-Star closer Edwin Diaz pitched a perfect seventh and Underwood retired the side in the eighth.

Underwood threw strikes on seven of his 12 pitches, getting Danny Valencia to ground out to third on a 2-1 cutter, Alex Dickerson to ground out to first on a 2-2 four-seam fastball and Ryan Lavarnway to pop up to first base on a first-pitch sinker. The mercy rule was invoked in the bottom of the eighth, when Puerto Rico’s Kike Hernandez hit an RBI single to push the lead to 10.

WALK OFF. PERFECT GAME.

A historic performance for Team Puerto Rico ???????? pic.twitter.com/FGKQic4cxH

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 14, 2023

Puerto Rico (2-1) will play the Dominican Republic (1-1), which features Pirates pitchers Roansy Contreras and Luis Ortiz, at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a crucial matchup. The top two teams in Pool D advance, and Venezuela sits atop the standings with a 2-0 record.

Underwood told the Tribune-Review at spring training that he was thrilled to play for Puerto Rico. Although he was born in Raleigh and grew up in Marietta, Ga., Underwood has family ties to Puerto Rico — his maternal grandmother is from Arecibo — and has pitched in winter ball for Criollos de Caguas in two of the past three offseasons.

“It’s always been a dream of mine, even from my younger days,” Underwood said. “Just watching all of the classics, then finding out I had some Puerto Rican (bloodlines), it was always a dream of mine to go to the Classic. Having the opportunity and the blessing to play for Puerto Rico is just a plus.”