ZAPOPAN, Mexico – Panama’s Federales de Chiriqui came to the 2026 Caribbean Series having not played a game since last season.
Their league, ProBeis, didn’t have the financial support needed to play a season, but they assembled a squad to go to the Caribbean Series. After their opener against Mexico’s Charros de Jalisco, perhaps they wish they stayed home.
While Charros starter Luis Ivan Rodriguez had no trouble with the Federales’ lineup, Panama starter Paolo Espino struggled mightily, falling behind in first and then completely falling apart in the third, as the Charros breezed to an 11-4 win in a game the result of which was no longer in doubt after the third inning.
“The truth is that we took advantage of the fact that the pitchers from Panama were a little out of control outside the zone,” Charros manager Benji Gil said in Spanish following hte game. “In the end, the important thing here was that we were able to take advantage of the situation and an excellent start from Luis Iván Rodríguez. He gave us five innings with only two hits and threw 66 pitches in five innings.”
After allowing a single to the Charros’ Connor Hollis on the game’s first pitch, Espino fanned Julian Ornelas. After the strikeout of Ornelas, Espino struggled to command his fastball, walking Michael Wielansky on a full count and then walking Willie Calhoun on four pitches to load the bases. Two batters later, former Detroit Tiger Bligh Madris launched Espino’s 1-0 pitch over the right field wall and over the restaurant behind it for a grand slam, giving the Charros a 4-0 lead.
Bligh Madris absolutely destroyed this pitch. The grand slam off Paolo Espino gave the Charros de Jalisco a 4-0 lead against Panama in the top of the first. pic.twitter.com/OoSmwURqlw
— @leifskodnick.bsky.social (@LeifSkodnick) February 3, 2026
Espino retired the side in order in the second, but wasn’t able to get an out in the third. Julian Ornelas led off with a solo homer for the Charros, and Michael Wielansky followed with a double to right center. Willie Calhoun hit a 2-1 fastball to the gap that bounced off the warning track and over the wall for a ground-rule double, scoring Wielansky for a 6-0 Charros lead.
With a 2-0 count to Mateo Gil, Espino’s next pitch went to the backstop, allowing Calhoun to take third. Espino’s night lasted just one more pitch: a ball inside sent Gil to first and brought Panama manager Jose Mayorga out of the dugout to lift his starter before he had to face Madris again.
“One through nine, we have special players on this team — at the top of our lineup, on the bottom of our lineup, and having quality at bats is what Benji preaches every single day,” Madris said following the game. “No matter the result, just have a quality at bat. Julián does a great job with that every day. I think he’s one of the best players down here. He’s taught me a lot down here, too. Guys like that, they lead by example.”
With Kevin Miranda on the hill, Madris drew a five-pitch walk, and Reynaldo Rodriguez followed him with a single off the left field wall, scoring Calhoun and Gil to make it 8-0 with both runs charged to Espino. Miranda then walked Leo Heras to load the bases again.