ZAPOPAN, Mexico – On the third day of the 2026 Caribbean Series at Estadio Panamericano, the Tomateros de Culiacán won 2-1 over the Federales de Chiriquí of Panama’s ProBeis league.
The Tomateros de Culiacán are now 1-1 at the 2026 Caribbean Series and the Federales de Chiriquí fall to 0-2.
Panama left six men on base and were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position in their second game of the 2026 Caribbean Series.
Federales de Chiriquí starter Jorge García and Tomateros de Culiacán reinforcement Odrisamer Despaigne held their own on Tuesday afternoon in the Silicon Valley of Mexico.
The 38-year-old right-hander from La Habana, Cuba, who played six seasons in the majors before heading to the Korean Baseball Organization to play with the KT Wiz from 2020-22 and winning a Korean Series title in 2021, pitched with grit on Tuesday to keep the Federales de Chiriquí bats silent, and earn the win.
Despaigne chucked six innings, and allowed five hits, one earned run, one walk, and four strikeouts, while creasing 93 pitches for 57 strikes.
Despaigne had no harm done as well with eight ground ball outs and five fly outs on Tuesday afternoon against the Federales de Chiriquí offense.
“It was the first time I was pitching with Juan Uriete behind the plate, but we understood each other quickly from the first inning, we talked before the game, we had also seen the Panama group there. The game against the Charros and well, the same thing that they were the aggressive battlers that we had to be on top of the pitches and attack them so they wouldn’t do well, I was able to work well like that, then I told him, of course, now well, that gave me more confidence to come and work harder to keep the team in the lead,” Despaigne said during the postgame press conference.
García’s lone mistake on Tuesday against the Tomateros de Culiacán’s offense was in the bottom of the third inning, when Rodolfo Amador cracked a two-run single into center field, scoring shortstop Luis Verdugo and second baseman Carlos Sepúlveda for the game’s first two runs to make it 2-0.
MÉXICO VERDE TIMBRÓ LAS PRIMERAS ????
Rodolfo Amador pegó sencillo y puso 2 carreras en la pizarra para su equipo
3⃣???????????? 0-2 ????????????#SerieDelCaribe #Jalisco2026 pic.twitter.com/jkcvAnrily
— Serie del Caribe (@beisboldecaribe) February 3, 2026
García entered the bottom of the fifth inning, and was shortly taken out of the game by Mayorga, after giving up a ground ball single into right field from Sepúlveda, resulting in reliever Abdiel Mendoza being called upon from the bullpen.
The San Miguelito, Panama native threw 4 ⅓ innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, one walk, and four strikeouts, while flaming 83 pitches for 52 strikes.
García, prior to entering the 2026 Caribbean Series, played for the 2025-26 Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional champion, Navegantes del Magallanes.
García went 4-2 with the Navegantes del Magallanes, and threw 51.2 innings in 11 starts, posting a 4.01 ERA, allowing 54 hits, 23 earned runs, six home runs, 16 walks, 34 strikeouts, and a 1.355 WHIP, before joining the Federales de Chiriquí at the 2026 Caribbean Series.
“García made so much improvement playing in Venezuela during the 2025-26 season and with his improvements as well playing in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol this past year, he has built a lot of preparation to where he is now in his career,” Federales de Chiriquí manager Jose Mayorga said during the postgame press conference.
The Federales de Chiriquí did not carve their first run of the game until the top of the seventh inning, when pinch hitter Abraham Rodríguez, who replaced Ryan Burrowes, smacked an RBI double to right field, scoring right fielder Luis Castillo to inch it to 2-1.
Los Federales responden y se colocan a una carrera del empate.????????⚾️???? pic.twitter.com/670wWqgpzw
— ESPN Béisbol ⚾️ (@ESPN_Beisbol) February 3, 2026
Tomateros reliever Guadalupe Chávez came into the game in the top of the ninth inning, and looked to help the Tomateros earn their first win of the 2026 Caribbean Series.
A few moments later, with Jean Arraez being the tying run on second base, Chávez would get Austin Dennis to fly out to right fielder Yadir Drake to end the game, to strike the standings at 1-1 in their 2-1 win over the Federales de Chiriquí.
Tomateros manager Lorenzo Bundy’s pitching staff combined for nine innings, allowing nine hits, one earned run, one walk, and five strikeouts.
Mayorga’s pitching staff in their second loss at the 2026 Caribbean Series, threw eight innings, and allowed nine hits, two earned runs, one walk, and struck out eight batters.
The Tomateros de Culiacán will play their Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico arch rival, the 2025-26 champion, Charros de Jalisco at 8 p.m. EST on February 4.
The Federales de Chiriquí will play on February 4 against the 2025-26 LIDOM champion, Leones del Escogido at 3 p.m. EST.
All 2026 Caribbean Series games are televised in the United States on ESPN Deportes in Spanish and MLB Network in English until the final out of the championship game on February 7.
Panama’s Background With No 2025-26 ProBeis Season After Second Game In Zapopan
The Federales de Chiriquí have appeared at the Caribbean Series in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Panama had their ProBeis season canceled due to economic issues in their country alongside financial issues with their governing sports body, the Instituto Panameño de Deportes (PANDEPORTES).
“PANDEPORTES has done a great job with a lot of infrastructure of the stadiums and hope everything else can get better in the sport of baseball with all the improvements of the new venues that are being built up in our country,” Mayorga said during pregame.
Mayorga also told World Baseball Network during pregame, the importance of having two club teams in the Serie de Las Americas and Caribbean Series in order to build Panama’s roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
“It wasn’t easy trying to make two teams in our country with the scouting abbreviations that are going on in our country. It’s important that our players are getting repetitions with their at-bats prior to Pool A in San Juan and credit to certain guys that are wanting to play with us, during the month span on what lies ahead of the World Baseball Classic,” Mayorga said during the pregame.
The Aguilas Metropolitanas will play the Navegantes del Magallanes on the first day of the 2026 Serie del Las Americas on February 5 at 4:30 p.m. EST at Estadio Monumental Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela.
This will be the second time that the Federales de Chiriquí will play in the Caribbean Series, prior to not having a season since playing in Mazatlan, Mexico in 2021, since ProBeis was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Panama has participated in the Caribbean Series from 1949-60, before returning in 2019, where the Toros de Herrera won the event. Panama has played in the Caribbean Series from 2020 until 2024, where they won third place in Miami at loanDepot Park as the nations’ last appearance.
The Tomateros de Culiacán have appeared in the event in 1978, 1983, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2021.
The Tomateros de Culiacán have won two Caribbean Series titles in 1996 and 1992.
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
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
