MEXICALI, Mexico – Alexi Amarista’s two-run homer in the top of the ninth ended a game that was mostly over in the first inning. The two-run shot capped a 10-0 mercy rule win, the first in Caribbean Series history, by Venezuela’s Cardenales de Lara over the Japan Breeze that concluded the Breeze’s first trip to the event, plunging their record to 0-4 in a game where they were no-hit over eight innings by Jesus Vargas.
Vargas allowed just three walks, struck out seven, and one other batter reached on fielder’s choice, as he used just 86 pitches to get through eight innings before Amarista mercifully ended the game.
It was the second no-hitter for Venezuela at the Caribbean Series in as many years, as Vargas joined Angel Padron, no-hit Nicaragua on Feb. 7, 2024 in Miami, as the second pitcher to throw a no-no while representing the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional at the event.
For the Japan Breeze, losing by the mercy rule in a no-hitter was another disappointment in their first trip to the Caribbean Series. They were outscored 32-5 over the four games during round robin play, and while they could have advanced to the semifinal with a win against Venezuela, such an occurrence felt impossible before the bottom of the first inning was over.
The Breeze went down in order in the top of the first, and then the Cardenales came to bat, loading the bases on walks to Ildemaro Vargas and Alexi Amarista and Gorkys Hernandez getting hit by a pitch. After cleanup hitter Rangel Ravelo popped out in foul ground to Japan third baseman Jin Kurumatani, Jose Rondon drove in Vargas with a single. Danry Vasquez followed with a single that scored Hernandez and Amarista, and Hernan Perez’s single sent Rondon home. It was 4-0, and then Ali Sanchez ripped a double that scored Vasquez to add another in an inning that saw Venezuela send 10 men to the plate. They added on another in the third and fourth to make it 7-0.
Japan starter Kenta Hitomi lasted just 1/3 of an inning, allowing five earned runs on three hits and two walks.
Meanwhile, Vargas mowed down the overmatched Japan Breeze lineup, allowing a walk to Jin Yamamoto in the second and another to Ren Tachioka in the third before retiring the side in order in the fourth. In the fifth, a slow grounder by Kurumatani up the third base line was fielded barehanded by Hernan Perez, who fired to first to get the out on a bang-bang play and end the inning.
Vargas rose as high as Triple-A in the New York Mets organization and played each of the last three winter ball seasons with the Leones del Caracas, joining the Cardenales as a reinforcement for the Caribbean Series after posting a 3.83 ERA over 40 innings with the Leones. He’s only the third pitcher in Caribbean Series history to throw a no-hitter, joining his fellow Venezuelan Padron and American Tommy Fine, who threw a no-hitter on Feb. 21, 1952 for the Leones de Habana against the Cerveceria Caracas of Venezuela.
With his starter cruising along, lifting Vargas was never a consideration for Cardenales manager Henry Blanco.
“I wasn’t thinking about that. I think he was supposed to go all the way, even if we played nine inning. He only had like 83 pitches at that time, so, I mean… Even if they broke the no-hitter, he was supposed to go all the way,” Blanco said following the game.
In the sixth, Tachioka, the ninth man in the order, made the best contact of any hitter in the Breeze lineup Tuesday night, ripping a hot liner to lead off the inning. Unfortunately for the Breeze, it was right at Venezuela shortstop Eduardo Garcia. Vargas then walked Japan leadoff hitter Takeru Ohashi, and got Kan Nakayuchi to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Never again would a Japan Breeze batter reach base.
“He was executing the sinker very well,” said catcher Ali Sanchez following the game. “We mixed it up a little with the change and we had a good result.”
Vargas induced ground outs to second base from Yuta Hamada and Jin Yamamoto in the seventh, sandwiching them around a four-pitch strikeout of Takuhishi Satoh.
Having thrown 74 pitches when he took the mound for the top of the eighth, Vargas struck out the side on 11 more tosses, getting pinch hitter Haruto Okawaguchi looking on four pitches, Taishi Mizumoto waving at four pitches, and pinch hitter Shu Kimura on five pitches.
Then Venezuela came back to bat, and Ali Sanchez singled and later scored on a one-out single by Ildemaro Vargas. Gorkys Hernandez reached on a fielder’s choice, putting two men on for Amarista, who launched the third pitch he saw from Breeze reliever Aki Watanabe over the fence down the right field line.
With the win, Venezuela advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals with the No. 2 seed, where they will face the Dominican Republic’s Leones del Escogido at 5 p.m. EST. The nightcap will feature the No. 1 seeded Charros de Jalisco of Mexico, who went 4-0 in the round robin, against the fourth-seeded Indios de Mayaguez of Puerto Rico. Every game of the 2025 Caribbean Series is televised live on MLB Network in English and on ESPN Deportes in Spanish.
Photo: Jesus Vargas of Venezuela’s Cardenales de Lara struck out seven and walked three, throwing eight innings of no-hit ball against the Japan Breeze at the Caribbean Series. (Photo Courtesy of CBPC)
