ZAPOPAN, Mexico – It was a rematch a year in the making, though the Charros de Jalisco will have to wait a little longer to get revenge on the Leones del Escogido.
The defending Caribbean Series champions from the Dominican Republic held off the Charros, who they faced in last year’s final in Mexicali, taking a 5-4 win in the nightcap of the first day of the 2026 Caribbean Series behind a 4-for-4 night from Junior Lake, who drove in three runs and made a crucial outfield assist.
Leading off the bottom of the first, Jalisco’s Connor Hollis took the third pitch from Oscar De La Cruz off the left shoulder, then stole second and advanced to third on Michael Wielansky’s single up the middle. Hollis came home when Mateo Gil hit into a fielder’s choice at short, giving the Charros a 1-0 lead.
Charros starter Manny Banuelos allowed one hit through the first two innings but ran into trouble in the third, giving up a lead-off single to Franchy Cordero, then issuing two-out walks to Erik Gonzalez and Socrates Brito to load the bases with two outs. Facing cleanup hitter Junior Lake, Banuelos threw a first-pitch fastball up in the zone, and Lake doubled off the wall in the right center field gap, clearing the bases and giving the Leones a 3-1 lead.
In the fifth, the Leones chased Banuelos from the game after he walked Gustavo Nunez with one out and then allowed a single to Gonzalez that allowed Nunez to score. With reliever Mario Meza on the mound, Junior Lake singled to load the bases, and then a ground out to first by Cristhian Adames got Gonzalez home for a 5-1 Leones lead.
With runners on first and third in the bottom of the fifth, Mateo Gil ripped a 2-2 pitch from De La Cruz into right center for a double, scoring Connor Hollis and Michael Wielansky to cut the lead to 5-3 and end De La Cruz’s evening after 4 2/3 innings.
“Mateo’s line drive was hit right to Junior. And Junior played a good game,made a great throw,” the elder Gil said of his son’s line drive that nearly got the tying run home. “If that ball is hit 10 feet to the right or left, it’s a very hard hit, and it’d probably be a tied game.”
It was another stellar play from the former Major Leaguer who is playing his 17th winter ball season in his native Dominican Republic and making his ninth Caribbean Series appearance.
“I dare say that in today’s game the difference was Junior Lake, he produced [three] runs and he made the throw home to prevent the game from being tied,” Benji Gil said in Spanish following the game. “That was a tremendous play, the throw home. Normally, Mike Wielansky slides headfirst. He had to move a little to his right for it because he slid feet first, which is how [De La Cruz] was able to tag him on the leg. … If he slides outside with his hand, his elbow goes towards his hand.”
The Charros cut the lead to one in the seventh when Julian Ornelas scored on Willie Calhoun’s RBI single, but saw their attempt to tie the game stifled when Mateo Gil lined out to left field, and Leones left fielder Junior Lake made a perfect throw to Michael De La Cruz to get Michael Wielansky at the plate for the third out of the inning.
But they didn’t get any closer. After Reynaldo Rodriguez reached on a one-out single in the eighth, Leones reliever Jefry Yan struck out Leo Heras and Alexis Wilson to end the inning, exuberantly celebrating as he went back to the dugout, drawing boos from the home crowd.
“Every day, he gives his best, every day, he brings so much energy to the team,” Leones manager Ramon Santiago said of Yan. “He transmits that energy to the team. You can see it, not just to the team, but also to the fans.”
Jimmy Cordero came on for the ninth and got a three-out save.
NOTEBOOK – After Game 1, Cangrejeros de Santurce manager Omar Lopez indicated that Daryl Thompson would start tomorrow’s game against the Dominican Republic’s Leones del Escogido, who will put Conner Greene on the hill. … With the losses on the first day of the 2026 Caribbean Series, the Charros and Tomateros de Culiacan became the first pair of Mexican teams to lose on the same day at the Caribbean Series in more than 50 years. The last time two Mexican teams lost on the same day at the Caribbean Series was on Feb. 5, 1974, when Puerto Rico defeated the Yaquis de Obregón and the Dominican Republic beat the Venados de Mazatlán.
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
3 p.m. – Cangrejeros de Santurce (PR) vs. Leones del Escogido (DR)
8 p.m. – Charros de Jalisco (MEX-R) vs. Federales de Chiriquí (PAN)
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: Michael Wielansky of the Charros de Jalisco is out at the plate after a perfect throw by Junior Lake got to Michael De La Cruz in time for him to apply the tag. (Photo courtesy of the CBPC)
