Monday night in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Albert Pujols and the Leones Del Escogido won the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana (LIDOM) with a 6-5 Game 7 win over the Tigres Del Licey at Estadio Quisqueya.
This season was Pujols’ inaugural season as manager of the Leones. The team clinched a spot in the Caribbean Series with its 17 LIDOM title. The Leones had a miraculous run in the semifinal round after finishing below .500 in the regular season. They went 24-25 in the regular season. Despite their record, they secured the final spot in the semifinal round.
The Leones finished 10-5 in the semifinal round to earn a chance to play the Tigres in the Serie Final. The Tigres had won back-to-back LIDOM championships and are the most decorated franchise in the league. The Tigres have won a staggering 24 LIDOM titles. However, Pujols’ squad was up for the challenge. The Leones and Tigres went head to head in a dramatic Game 7.
In the end, Junior Caminero hit a home run to give the Leones the lead, setting up a save situation. The final out came on a diving play in right field from Emilio Bonifacio.
The Leones will begin their quest to win the Caribbean Series on Friday when they take on the Cardenales de Lara of the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional at 4:30 local time in Mexicali, Mexico. The game will be played in Estadio Nido de los Aguilas.
