MEXICALI, Mexico – Sometimes, all a team needs is one run. Playing the Sunday nightcap at the 2025 Caribbean Series, Mexico’s Charros de Jalisco pitchers stifled the bats of the Dominican Republic’s Leones del Escogido, with four hurlers holding the Leones to just three hits and a walk as Mexico won 2-0 to improve to 3-0 and assure themselves a place in the semifinals.
In the bottom of the first, Rudy Martin Jr. hit a triple that fell between Leones outfielders Socrates Brito and Luis Liberato and rolled to the wall in the left center field gap. He wasn’t on third base long, as Michael Wielansky’s single to left field on the second pitch he saw got Martin home for a 1-0 lead.
On the mound, Ronald Medrano, a lanky 6-foot righty from Nicaragua, stifled the Dominican bats, changing speeds and working efficiently over five shutout innings, inducing ground ball out seven ground outs over five shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.
“For me, the only goal is to do it for God, and the first thing is to do it for the big team,” Medrano said in Spanish following the game. “And I always start preparing physically and mentally to take down any opponent that comes my way. I have to give them a good game. It’s my mentality. I always try to get the best result and help the team as much as I can.”
Medrano, a Nicaraguan, pitched for Jalisco in the regular season, where he posted a 3.13 ERA over 63 1/3 innings in 12 starts.
“It has to be said that Ronald had an excellent season,” said Charros manager Benji Gil. “There’s not much to say, you have an starter that gives you that kind of free throw.
Angel Hernandez replaced Medrano for the sixth and threw a perfect inning, striking out two before handing the ball off to Jesus Cruz for the seventh. A stocky reliever who pitched for the Aguilas de Mexicali in the regular season, Cruz found himself in a jam with runners on second and third after Jose Marmolejos reached on an error and Francisco Mejia walked. Marmolejos stole second and then advanced to when Cruz came set and then balked, putting the ball back in his glove during Francisco Mejia’s at-bat. Mejia ended up drawing a walk and then stole second, but Cruz struck out Cristhian Adames to end the inning and the threat.
It was as close as the Leones would get.
Stephen Nogosek retired the side in order in the top of the eighth, and Trevor Clifton completed the combined three-hitter, inducing ground outs from Robinson Cano and Yamaico Navarro before Zoilo Almonte hit a Baltimore chop back to the mound, where Clifton fielded the ball with a leap and tossed it to first for the final out.
The Dominican Republic fell to 2-1, but manager Albert Pujols will have his squad ready when they face Puerto Rico’s Indios de Mayaguez (1-1) on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. EST.
“You have to respect the other teams that are playing here. You have to respect Venezuela, Japan, you have to respect Puerto Rico,” Pujols said. “We will think about our work as managers and players, and we will keep focused and play at the same time. If we reach the final, we will be prepared to make our dream come true.”
Mexico will face the Japan Breeze (0-2) tomorrow night at 8 p.m. EST. Every game of the 2025 Caribbean Series will be televised in English on MLB Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
