ZAPOPAN, Mexico – Panama’s Federales de Chiriqui came to the 2026 Caribbean Series having not played a game since last season.
Their league, ProBeis, didn’t have the financial support needed to play a season, but they assembled a squad to go to the Caribbean Series. After their opener against Mexico’s Charros de Jalisco, perhaps they wish they stayed home.
While Charros starter Luis Ivan Rodriguez had no trouble with the Federales’ lineup, Panama starter Paolo Espino struggled mightily, falling behind in first and then completely falling apart in the third, as the Charros breezed to an 11-4 win in a game the result of which was no longer in doubt after the third inning.
“The truth is that we took advantage of the fact that the pitchers from Panama were a little out of control outside the zone,” Charros manager Benji Gil said in Spanish following hte game. “In the end, the important thing here was that we were able to take advantage of the situation and an excellent start from Luis Iván Rodríguez. He gave us five innings with only two hits and threw 66 pitches in five innings.”
After allowing a single to the Charros’ Connor Hollis on the game’s first pitch, Espino fanned Julian Ornelas. After the strikeout of Ornelas, Espino struggled to command his fastball, walking Michael Wielansky on a full count and then walking Willie Calhoun on four pitches to load the bases. Two batters later, former Detroit Tiger Bligh Madris launched Espino’s 1-0 pitch over the right field wall and over the restaurant behind it for a grand slam, giving the Charros a 4-0 lead.
Bligh Madris absolutely destroyed this pitch. The grand slam off Paolo Espino gave the Charros de Jalisco a 4-0 lead against Panama in the top of the first. pic.twitter.com/OoSmwURqlw
— @leifskodnick.bsky.social (@LeifSkodnick) February 3, 2026
Espino retired the side in order in the second, but wasn’t able to get an out in the third. Julian Ornelas led off with a solo homer for the Charros, and Michael Wielansky followed with a double to right center. Willie Calhoun hit a 2-1 fastball to the gap that bounced off the warning track and over the wall for a ground-rule double, scoring Wielansky for a 6-0 Charros lead.
With a 2-0 count to Mateo Gil, Espino’s next pitch went to the backstop, allowing Calhoun to take third. Espino’s night lasted just one more pitch: a ball inside sent Gil to first and brought Panama manager Jose Mayorga out of the dugout to lift his starter before he had to face Madris again.
“One through nine, we have special players on this team — at the top of our lineup, on the bottom of our lineup, and having quality at bats is what Benji preaches every single day,” Madris said following the game. “No matter the result, just have a quality at bat. Julián does a great job with that every day. I think he’s one of the best players down here. He’s taught me a lot down here, too. Guys like that, they lead by example.”
With Kevin Miranda on the hill, Madris drew a five-pitch walk, and Reynaldo Rodriguez followed him with a single off the left field wall, scoring Calhoun and Gil to make it 8-0 with both runs charged to Espino. Miranda then walked Leo Heras to load the bases again.
After getting Santiago Chavez to fly out to right for the first out of the inning, Juan Carlos Gamboa drew a walk, sending Madris in to score. After Ornelas struck out for the second out, walks to Wielansky and Calhoun scored Rodriguez and Heras, respectively, to make it an 11-0 game.
“I think what we need to work on is attacking the strike zone a little more. I think we let 11 get to second base in the first three or four innings, and that’s not the best strategy,” Federales manager Jose Mayorga said in Spanish following the game. “Obviously, we were… and the hit was coming. We just need to try to attack the zone more and then try to hold onto the lead and start scoring early.”
Charged with the loss, Espino allowed eight runs, all of them earned, on five hits and four walks, striking out one, and managed to throw just 25 of his 53 pitches for strikes. His replacement, Kevin Miranda, went 2/3 of an inning and allowed three runs on one hit and walked four, throwing just 11 strikes in 31 pitches.
Austin Dennis led off the sixth for the Federales with a single, and two batters later, former Major League Johan Camargo launched a 435-foot two-run homer left center to cut the lead to 11-2.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Federales tacked on two more with the game long decided, on an RBI triple by Adrián Sugastey and a single by Joshwan Wright that scored Sugastey.
For Gil and the Charros, the spectacular start by Luis Ivan Rodriguez tonight means that he’ll be well-rested for Saturday’s final should the Charros get there.
With the win, the Charros are 1-1 and will face Puerto Rico’s Cangrejeros de Santurce Tuesday evening. Luis Miranda is expected to start for Jalisco. A win will all but assure the Charros of a berth in Friday’s semifinals. The Federales will face Mexico’s Tomateros de Culiacan, who are also 0-1, on Tuesday afternoon. The losing team in that game will almost certainly need to win its two remaining games to make the semifinals.
2026 Caribbean Series Schedule
All times Eastern Standard Time
* – If either or both Mexico teams advance to the semifinals, they will play the late game regardless of seeding.
MEX-G – Mexico Green
MEX-R – Mexico Red
PR – Puerto Rico
DR – Dominican Republic
PAN – Panama
Sunday, Feb. 1
Cangrejeros de Santurce (PR) 5, Tomateros de Culiacán (MEX-G) 4
Leones del Escogido (DR) 5, Charros de Jalisco (MEX-R) 4
Monday, Feb. 2
Leones del Escogido (DR) 5, Cangrejeros de Santurce (PR) 3
Charros de Jalisco (MEX-R) 11, Federales de Chiriquí (PAN) 4
Tuesday, Feb. 3
3 p.m. – Federales de Chiriquí (PAN) vs. Tomateros de Culiacán (MEX-G)
8 p.m. – Charros de Jalisco (MEX-R) vs. Cangrejeros de Santurce (PR)
Wednesday, Feb. 4
3 p.m. – Federales de Chiriquí (PAN) vs. Leones del Escogido (DR)
8 p.m. – Tomateros de Culiacán (MEX-G) vs. Charros de Jalisco (MEX-R)
Thursday, Feb. 5
3 p.m. – Cangrejeros de Santurce (PR) vs. Federales de Chiriquí (PAN)
8 p.m. – Leones del Escogido (DR) vs. Tomateros de Culiacán (MEX-G)
Friday, Feb. 6
3 p.m. – Third Place vs. Second Place – Semifinal 1*
8 p.m. – First Place vs. Fourth Place – Semifinal 2*
Saturday, Feb. 7
8 p.m. – Championship Game
Photo: Bligh Madris of the Charros de Jalisco watches his first-inning grand slam against Panama’s Federales de Chiriqui. (Photo courtesy of the CBPC)
