MEXICALI, Mexico – Some nights, it’s just your night, and Thursday night was Isan Diaz’ night.
Twice, Venezuela starter Jimmy Endersby threw Diaz sliders, and twice, Diaz jumped on them, launching two homers over the right field wall in his first two at-bats, and Puerto Rico’s Indios de Mayaguez, the 2024-25 champions of the Liga Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, took third place at the 2025 Caribbean Series, beating Venezuela’s Cardenales de Lara 7-4.
After Eddie Rosario walked to lead off the top of the second inning for Puerto Rico, Diaz blasted a two-run home run over the right field wall for a 2-0 Mayaguez lead.
Diaz came up next in the top of the fourth inning and hit a solo home run off the right field foul pole to extend the lead to 3-0. Onix Vega, Jeremy Rivera, and Ruben Castro followed with successive singles to load the bases, and then Emmanuel Rivera clubbed a two-run double to left field, scoring Vega and Rivera for a 5-0 lead and advancing Castro to third. The next batter, designated hitter Anthony Garcia, lofted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Ruben Castro for a six-run lead.
“I’m always on the fastball, but obviously reacting to anything inside, which is a pitch that I love to dominate, so I was fortunate enough to get two pitches today and I didn’t miss,” said Diaz, who has played in Major League Baseball with the Miami Marlins, San Francisco Giants, and Detroit Tigers.
Venezuela got on the board in the fourth when Alexi Amarista drew a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, got to third on single by Jose Rondon, and then scored on a single by Danry Vasquez to make it a 6-1 ballgame.
But Mayaguez quickly restored the six-run lead in the fifth, when Eddie Rosario singled and stole second, then scored on Onix Vega’s single.
Venezuela starter Jimmy Endersby, who had a solid five-inning outing in Venezuela’s round robin game against Mexico, didn’t make it out of the fourth against the Indios, allowing six runs, all of them earned, on eight hits and two walks, striking out three in 3 2/3 innings of work.
Puerto Rico starter Luis Cruz also made an early exit, getting the hook after 3 1/3 innings when he loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth. He allowed one earned run on four hits, walking two and striking out four.
After Cruz exited, the bullpen locked down the victory for the Indios, with four pitchers throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, striking out three and walking none. Closer Justin Yeager game on for the ninth, allowing consecutive singles to Eddie Rosario and Onix Vega that got Rosario home for Puerto Rico’s second run of the game, but then struck out Francisco Arcia swinging at a 92.1 mph fastball. With runners on second and third, Cesar Izturis hit a fly ball to right field that was booted by Ruben Castro, allowing two runs to score and make it a 7-4 game, ending Yeager’s night.
Puerto Rico manager brought on Dereck Rodriguez, who got Jose Flores to ground out to third base to end the game, earning himself a save with just three pitches.
The 2025 Caribbean Series championship game will be held at El Nido de los Aguilas on February 7 with the 2024-25 LIDOM champion Leones del Escogido going up against the 2024-25 Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico champion Charros de Jalisco at 10 p.m. EST on MLB Network in English and on ESPN Deportes in Spanish.
Photo: Puerto Rico’s Isan Diaz (28) crosses the plate after the first of his two home runs in the third place game at the 2025 Caribbean Series. (Photo Courtesy of CBPC)
