With all eyes on the rematch of last year’s Zona Sur championship series, the Diablos Rojos del Mexico opened their defensive of back-to-back Liga Mexicana de Beisbol titles with a 4-2 win over Campeche Thursday night.
Lorenzo Bundy’s club got 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball from starter Ricardo Pinto, and five relievers held the Piratas to one run on four hits over the remaining 3 2/3 innings.
Jose Marmolejos drove in the Diablos first run with an RBI single in the bottom of the first, and an RBI double by Franklin Barreto in the fifth sent Carlos Perez home to make it 2-0.
A sixth-inning single by Felix Perez scored Connor Hollis to cut the Diablos’ lead to a single run, and a seventh-inning double by Andrew Stevenson scored Christian Ibarra and tied the game.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Diablos pulled ahead on an RBI double from Carlos Sepulveda, then added an insurance run on a double by Maikel Franco in the eighth to improve to 1-0.
History Made In the Fifth – Nick Vespi’s strikeout of Andrew Stevenson for the second out in the sixth inning marked the first use of the Automatic Ball/Strike Challenge in the LMB. With a 3-2 count, Vespi’s pitch was called a ball, but catcher Carlos Perez requested a review, and the pitch call was overturned, resulting in a strikeout of Stevenson.
¡Historia pura! ? Los @DiablosRojosMX ganaron el primer desafío con el Sistema de Retos ABS en la historia de la Liga Mexicana de Beisbol ??
Andrew Stevenson es ponchado por Nick Vespi en un pitcheo originalmente marcado bola ✅ pic.twitter.com/ObDjgltlLW
— Irving Furlong ⚾ (@irvingrf) April 17, 2026
Change to Suspended Game Rule – The LMB changed its rule regarding suspended games for the 2026 season. This year, if a game is suspended before it is official, the game will be restarted at the point of suspension rather than being replayed in its entirety. Ideally, the game would be resumed the next time the two teams meet at the same ballpark, but a suspended game will be restarted on the road with the visiting team playing as the home team if the only remaining games between the two teams involved are at the other team’s ballpark.
Where to Watch – All Liga Mexicana de Beisbol games are streamed live with a subscription on LMB TV, and a season subscription is on sale for MX$799 (about US$46) until April 30. Select games are streamed live on the YouTube page for Latin American network Claro Sports.
Tonight’s LMB Schedule
All times Eastern Daylight Time
9 p.m. – Piratas de Campeche at Diablos Rojos del Mexico
9:10 p.m. – Dorados de Chihuahua at Caliente de Durango
9:30 p.m. – Tigres de Quintana Roo at Olmecas de Tabasco
9:30 p.m. – Guerreros de Oaxaca at Pericos de Puebla
10 p.m. – Tecolotes de Los Dos Laredos at Rieleros de Aguascalientes
10 p.m. – Sultanes de Monterrey at Algodoneros de Union Laguna
10 p.m. – Toros de Tijuana at Saraperos de Saltillo
10 p.m. – Conspiradores de Queretaro at El Aguila de Veracruz
10:15 p.m. – Acereros de Monclova at Charros de Jalisco
10:30 p.m. – Bravos de Leon at Leones de Yucatan
Photo: Ricardo Pinto allowed one run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings in the season opener for the Diablos Rojos del Mexico Thursday night. (Photo courtesy of the Diablos Rojos del MExico)
