The Águilas Cibaeñas have kept their LIDOM championship series hopes alive on Jan. 18 with a 4-1 win against the Leones del Escogido. They still have a long way to go and need two more wins, but they managed to overcome adversity for a night. The controversy stems from their game against the Leones del Escogido on Jan. 16 in a game that wasn’t finished and will be made up on Jan. 19.
Standings – If the Águilas Cibaeñas manage to win on Jan. 19, they will play Leones del Escogido again and will still need a win against them on Jan. 20 to make the championship series. The Leones del Escogido currently hold the top spot in the LIDOM Round Robin standings at 12-6. The Toros del Este are idle at 11- 6 and are currently in second place, tied with the Águilas Cibaeñas at 11-6. The Gigantes del Cibao have been long eliminated and finished in last place with a record of 2-16.
ATENCIÓN FANÁTICOS ?
Así queda la tabla tras hacerse oficial la anulación del partido entre @aguilascibaenas y @TorosdelEste del pasado viernes 16 de enero ⚾️#RoundRobinLIDOM #CopaBanreservas pic.twitter.com/ntiy89XsVB
— LIDOM (@LIDOMRD) January 18, 2026
Leody Taveras saves the day for the Águilas Cibaeñas – Leody Taveras was the MVP for the Águilas Cibaeñas in their 4-1 win on Jan. 18, with a game-winning single up the middle. He went 2-for-3 with two walks and three stolen bases. Taveras, 27, is a seven year MLB veteran and he played seven seasons for the Texas Rangers, with his biggest moment coming in 2023, when the Rangers won the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Taveras was released by the Rangers this past May, and he was claimed by the Seattle Mariners. This offseason, he signed a one-year deal for two-million dollars with the Baltimore Orioles.
Why are the Águilas Cibaeñas In This Situation After An Amazing Regular Season? – The Águilas Cibaeñas came into the LIDOM Round Robin as the overwhelming favorites after winning the regular season by five games with a record of 32-17.
Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo has underperformed during the round robin with just five RBIs, four stolen bases, and an OPS of .692 in 49 at-bats.
In the regular season, they led LIDOM in runs with 256 and averaged 5.2 runs per game. In the round robin, they have scored 80 runs in 18 games, which is 4.4 runs per game.Their pitching also hasn’t been as sharp in the regular season; they had an ERA of 3.79 in 434 innings. In the Round Robin, that ERA has ballooned to 4.45 in 164 innings.
After their run to the regular season title, it would be a huge failure not to even reach the championship series, but the Águilas Cibaeñas still have a very tall task ahead of them.
WBN LIDOM: https://worldbaseball.com/league/dominican-republic/lidom/
Photo: The Aguilas Cibaenas named Luis Urueta their starter for the first game of the 2025-26 LIDOM round robin, but the playoffs have been a lot more difficult than the regular season for the Aguilas. (Photo courtesy of LIDOM)
