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Leones del Escogido Survive 31-Run Thriller, Beat Federales de Chiriquí 16–15 to Improve to 3–0

Matt TallariniFeb 5, 20269 MIN READ
Leones del Escogido Survive 31-Run Thriller, Beat Federales de Chiriquí 16–15 to Improve to 3–0

ZAPOPAN, Mexico –A slugfest unfolded on the fourth day of the 2026 Caribbean Series at Estadio Panamericano, as the 2025–26 LIDOM champion Leones del Escogido outlasted the Federales de Chiriquí of Panama’s ProBeis league, 16–15, to improve to 3–0 on Wednesday afternoon.

“We started 2-0 but we can’t be satisfied, since we have a lot of work to do with the same determination that we have. The balance between good pitching and timely hitting is giving us a good position here in this tournament,” Leones del Escogido manager Ramon Santiago said during pregame.

Both teams combined for 31 runs and 34 hits on Wednesday afternoon in what has become the Silicon Valley of Mexico this week.

“I think our hitters did a pretty good job, I don’t think it was something bad about the pitching going up against an amazing offense 1-9, that can hit. Tomorrow will have Harold Arauz, starting for us on the mound and hopefully will not leave runs on the defensive side and hopefully our offense can just score more runs than what we’re up against with our opponent for tomorrow’s game,” Federales de Chiriquí manager Jose Mayorga said in the postgame press conference.

According to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes, the record for most combined runs in the history of the Caribbean Series was 28 in 1990, when the Senadores de San Juan of Puerto Rico and the Naranjeros de Hermosillo of the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico scored 28 runs and had 37 hits.

 

The Federales de Chiriquí remain winless at the 2026 Caribbean Series at 0–3 and will play the (1–2) 2025-26 Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente champion Cangrejeros de Santurce on February 5 at 3 p.m. EST. Leones del Escogido will play at 8 p.m. EST against the (1–1) Tomateros de Culiacán on February 5.

Panama struck first in the top of the second inning when right fielder Luis Castillo launched a solo home run that wrapped around the right-field foul pole for a 1–0 lead.

A few moments later, the Federales bats brought more fire when Abraham Rodriguez lined an RBI single down the left-field line, scoring Christian Bethancourt to make it 2–0.

Leones answered in the bottom of the second. Franchy Cordero pounded a two-run single into center field, scoring Junior Lake and Cristhian Adames to even the game at 2–2. Shortly after, catcher Marco Hernandez broke the tie with a two-run line drive double to center field, scoring Aderlin Rodriguez and Michael De La Cruz to put Escogido ahead 4–2.

Erik Gonzalez capped the five-run inning when he smacked a ground ball infield single to shortstop Austin Dennis, allowing Marco Hernandez to score and extending the lead to 5–2.

Panama punched back in the top of the third inning when Jose Ramos cranked a solo home run over the left-field wall to make it 5–3. Jhonny Santos followed with an RBI double off the left-field wall, and a bobble by Cordero allowed Johan Camargo to score from first base to cut it to 5–4.

Santiago went to the bullpen shortly after, removing starter Travis Lankins and calling on reliever Greg Minier. Lankins threw one inning and allowed six hits, four earned runs, and walked two batters on Wednesday afternoon.

The Federales tied it later in the inning when Bethancourt hit a ground ball RBI single into center field, scoring Santos to even the game at 5–5. On the same play, Lake fielded the ball and threw to Gustavo Nunez to cut down Castillo at second base, tagging him out for the first out of the inning.

Escogido regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Nunez cracked a line drive RBI single into right field, scoring Hernandez to make it 6–5, then advanced to second on a bobble by Castillo on the same play.

A few moments later, Gonzalez stayed hot with an RBI single to left, scoring Nunez to make it 7–5. Santos cut the deficit to one in the top of the fifth when he launched a solo home run over the left-field wall to make it 7–6.

Then the game blew open again. The Dominican Republic offense raged for five runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Hernandez was the key spark during the frame, delivering a two-run double to left field as Leones pushed the lead to 10–6, and Escogido’s final run of the inning came off the bat of Nunez with an RBI single to center field, scoring Hernandez to make it 12–6.

Panama answered with a six-run top of the sixth inning. Austin Dennis singled to left to start the rally that helped the Federales climb back, and the biggest blow came when Bethancourt ripped a three-run triple to right field, scoring Dennis, Santos, and Castillo to tie the game at 12–12.

Escogido immediately reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Franchy Cordero pounded a two-run home run over the left-field wall, scoring Adames to make it 14–12.

 

“I was adjusting to some of their pitching and trying to look for something up in the zone, and just hanging outside the zone, looking for a good pitch and got one to do damage with,” Cordero said during the postgame press conference.

Panama wasn’t done. In the top of the seventh, Camargo hammered an RBI single to left field, scoring Joshwan Wright to even the game again at 14–14.

In the bottom of the eighth, Hernandez continued his big day at the plate with an RBI double to right field, scoring Elier Hernandez to break the tie and put Escogido ahead 15–14.

Escogido added insurance when Nunez lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Geraldi Diaz to score and extending the lead to 16–14.

Santiago called upon reliever Jimmy Cordero to get the final three outs of the game in the top of the ninth inning, replacing Emalian Montilla.

Jimmy Cordero gave up an RBI single to center field to Erasmo Caballero, scoring Jean Arnaez to cut the deficit to 16–15, but he recovered to get Santos to ground out to Marco Hernandez for the final out as Leones survived the rally and closed out the 16–15 win.

The Leones del Escogido have won 18 championships in LIDOM in the seasons from: 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1968-69, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1991-92, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2015-16, 2024-25, and 2025-26.

The Leones del Escogido have won the Caribbean Series in 1988, 1990, 2010, 2012, and 2025 and also appeared in 1981, 1982, 1989, 1992, 2013, and 2016.

The Team Quality Balance will now take its place at the 2026 Caribbean Series, which is a primary formula used to break ties in the standings when three or more teams finish with the same win-loss record at the end of the round-robin stage, and affects a big part of what lies ahead heading into the semifinals on February 6, in order for the Federales do Chiriqui to have a chance in the next round.

The Federales de Chiriquí have appeared at the Caribbean Series in 2021, 2023, and 2024.

Panama had their ProBeis season canceled due to economic issues in their country alongside financial issues with their governing sports body, the Instituto Panameño de Deportes (PANDEPORTES).

Mayorga also told World Baseball Network during pregame the importance of having two club teams in the Serie de Las Americas and Caribbean Series in order to build Panama’s roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

“It wasn’t easy trying to make two teams in our country with the scouting abbreviations that are going on in our country. It’s important that our players are getting repetitions with their at-bats prior to Pool A in San Juan and credit to certain guys that are wanting to play with us, during the month span on what lies ahead of the World Baseball Classic,” Mayorga said during the pregame on Tuesday afternoon.

The Aguilas Metropolitanas will play the Navegantes del Magallanes on the first day of the 2026 Serie del Las Americas on February 5 at 4:30 p.m. EST at Estadio Monumental Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela.

This is the second time that the Federales de Chiriquí will play in the Caribbean Series, after not having a season since playing in Mazatlan, Mexico in 2021, as ProBeis was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second Half Of 2026 Caribbean Series Setting The Tone South Of The Border

The rest of the action of the 2026 Caribbean Series games is televised in the United States on ESPN Deportes in Spanish and MLB Network in English until the final out of the championship game on February 7.

2026 Caribbean Series Schedule
All times Eastern Standard Time
* – If either or both Mexico teams advance to the semifinals, they will play the late game regardless of seeding.
MEX-G – Mexico Green
MEX-R – Mexico Red
PR – Puerto Rico
DR – Dominican Republic
PAN – Panama

Sunday, Feb. 1
Cangrejeros de Santurce (PR) 5, Tomateros de Culiacán (MEX-G) 4
 Leones del Escogido (DR) 5, Charros de Jalisco (MEX-R) 4

Monday, Feb. 2
Leones del Escogido (DR) 5, Cangrejeros de Santurce (PR) 3
Charros de Jalisco (MEX-R) 11, Federales de Chiriquí (PAN) 4

Tuesday, Feb. 3
Tomateros de Culiacan (MEX-G) 2, Federales de Chiriqui (PAN) 1
Charros de Jalisco (MEX-R) 3, Cangrejeros de Santurce (PR) 0

Wednesday, Feb. 4
3 p.m. – Federales de Chiriquí (PAN) vs. Leones del Escogido (DR)
8 p.m. – Tomateros de Culiacán (MEX-G) vs. Charros de Jalisco (MEX-R)

Thursday, Feb. 5
3 p.m. – Cangrejeros de Santurce (PR) vs. Federales de Chiriquí (PAN)
8 p.m. – Leones del Escogido (DR) vs. Tomateros de Culiacán (MEX-G)

Friday, Feb. 6
3 p.m. – Third Place vs. Second Place – Semifinal 1*
8 p.m. – First Place vs. Fourth Place – Semifinal 2*

Saturday, Feb. 7
8 p.m. – Championship Game

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