For the second year in a row, the Leones del Escogido are heating up at the right time.
They jumped on the Toros del Este with three runs in the top of the first inning at Estadio Francisco Micheli in La Romana in Game 2 of the LIDOM championship series on Jan. 22 and held on to win 7-4 and take a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series.
First baseman Yamaico Navarro delivered the big blow in the first with a two-run single that made it 3-0, another big blow for Toros del Este after giving up five unanswered runs at the end of the game on Jan. 21.
The Leones del Escogido snuck into the playoffs, finishing in fourth place with a record of 23-27 and making the round robin by one game over the Estrellas Orientales.
Both teams had reinforcements starting the game, each with several years of experience in Major League Baseball.
The Toros del Este went with Nabil Crismatt on the bump, and he got roughed up for five runs in 2 ⅔ innings. Crismatt, 31, is a Colombian pitcher who has been in the MLB from 2020 to 2025, and he was with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. He pitched 34 innings with 25 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.71 with the Diamondbacks in 2025.
Crismatt’s outing was ended by an RBI double from Navarro, who went 2-for-5 with a team-leading three RBIs. It was 4-0 when Toros del Este brought in relief pitcher Anderson Bidó, and he gave up an RBI single to Alcides Escobar.
After all of this, the Toros del Este were outscored 10-0 in five innings by the Leones del Escogido, dating back to their previous matchup on Jan. 21.
On the other hand, Jose Urquidy was up to the task with one earned run in 4 ⅓ innings for the Leones del Escogido. Urquidy, 30, is looking for an MLB opportunity after pitching three innings for the Detroit Tigers last season. The Mexican pitcher joined the Leones after a stellar winter season in the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico with the Venados de Mazatlan, where he posted a 1.09 ERA in 33 innings across six starts.
The Toros del Este bullpen stabilized the game and pitched 5 ⅓ scoreless innings from the end of the third through the eighth. This allowed them to fight back into the game, and they were able to score two runs in the fifth with an RBI double from Jose Marmolejos. Center fielder Rudy Martin drove in two more runs with an RBI double in the sixth to cut it to 5-4.
Dos carreras más se le suman al marcador de los @TorosdelEste gracias al doblete de Ruddy Martín ??#SerieFinalLIDOM #CopaBanreservas pic.twitter.com/zT8i9ZLBYJ
— LIDOM (@LIDOMRD) January 23, 2026
Joe Corbett came on for the ninth and gave up a two-run home run to outfielder Junior Lake, striking the final blow. Lake has been a clutch hitter for the Leones del Escogido throughout the regular season and the round robin.
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Stephen Nogosek came in and got the save for the second time in as many nights and got his fourth save of the round robin. Leones del Escogido really has their chance to put their foot down in this series and take a commanding 3-0 lead in game 3.
LIDOM Championship Series Schedule
All times Eastern Standard Time
Games streamed on MLB.tv with a subscription
Jan. 21
Leones del Escogido 7, Toros del Este 6
Jan. 22
Leones del Escogido 7, Toros del Este 4
Jan. 23
6:15 p.m. – Toros del Este at Leones del Escogido – Game 3
Jan. 25
4 p.m. – Leones del Escogido at Toros del Este – Game 4
Jan. 26
6:15 p.m. – Toros del Este at Leones del Escogido – Game 5*
Jan. 27
6:30 p.m. – Leones del Escogido at Toros del Este – Game 6*
Jan. 28
6:15 p.m. – Toros del Este at Leones del Escogido – Game 7*
Photo: Yamaico Navarro of the Leones del Escogido celebrates on first base during Game 2 of the LIDOM championship series. (Photo Courtesy of LIDOM)
