The Road to Mexicali: Indios de Mayaguez Win LBPRC Title, Headed to Caribbean Series

The Indios de Mayaguez won their second Liga Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente title in three years and the 20th in team history, earning a berth in the 2025 Caribbean Series in Mexicali, Mexico, with a 5-2 win against the Senadores de San Juan Friday night.

Mayaguez won the series five games to one, and took game six of the series with the long ball, getting a two-run homer from Isan Diaz in the second and solo homers from Anthony Garcia and Danny Ortiz in the sixth. Their fifth run came in the seventh when Garcia’s hot grounder to short was bobbled by San Juan’s Ruben Tejada, allowing Bryan Torres to score from third.

Vimael Machin’s RBI double in the eighth sent Jan Hernandez home for San Juan, and Cornelius Randolph followed with a single that scored Kevin Santa to cut the lead to 5-2, but that was as close as the Senadores would get.

Starter Ed Rivera threw five innings, allowing one hit and striking out five to earn the win for Mayaguez.

LIDOM

Tigres del Licey 9, Leones del Escogido 3 – The Tigres del Licey evened the LIDOM title series at two games a piece with a dominant 9-3 win on Friday night, getting out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first and never letting the Leones into the game.

Victor Mejia singled home Gustavo Nunez for the game’s opening run, and the next batter, Francisco Mejia, launched the first pitch he saw from Phillips Valdez over the right field wall for a grand slam and a 5-0 Licey lead, and the Tigres added more insurance in the third, sixth, eighth, and ninth.

Junior Caminero singled in Escogido’s first run in the fourth, and Jean Segura’s double sent Caminero and Zoilo Almonte in to score later in the inning.

Seven Licey pitchers combined to allow three runs on eight hits and a walk, striking out nine, with starter Nico Tellache going 3 1/3 innings, allowing all three Leones runs.

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional

Cardenales de Lara 12, Bravos de Margarita 9 – The Cardenales took a 3-2 series lead in a slugfest that featured six homers, three for each team, and are now a win away from going to Mexicali.

With the game tied 8-8 in the top of the sixth, Jose Rondon launched a three-run homer to right center that put the Cardenales ahead for good. Rondon finished the night 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk, three RBIs and two runs scored for the Cardenales, who are looking to return to the Caribbean Series for the first time since 2019-20.

Ildemaro Vargas hit a solo homer for Lara in the third and Hernan Perez hit a three-run homer in the fifth, while Margarita got a two-run homer from Ramon Flores in the bottom of the second, a three-run homer from Carlos Perez in the third, and a solo homer from Lorenzo Cedrola in the bottom of the fifth.

Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico

Charros de Jalisco 6, Tomateros de Culiacan 5 – Reynaldo Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at five apiece, and then Michael Wielansky’s single sent Jose Angel Cecena home with the winning run as the Charros took a 2-1 lead in the LAMP championship series.

Culiacan got out to a 5-0 lead following Rudy Martin’s two-run homer in the sixth, but the bullpen coughed up the lead in the late innings. Mateo Gil fouled out to Culiacan first baseman Joey Meneses with the bases loaded, but an errant throw allowed Alfredo Hurtado and Billy Hamilton to score, getting the Charros on the board.

Stephen Nogosek came on in the ninth to try to get the save for Jalisco, only to surrender four runs, three of them earned, on three hits and a walk without retiring a batter, earning the loss and a blown save.

Tonight in the Winter Ball Playoffs
All times Eastern Standard Time

LIDOM
All LIDOM games are streamed live on MLB.tv with a subscription
6:30 p.m. – Leones del Escogido at Tigres del Licey (Series tied 2-2)

Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico
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7 p.m. – Culiacan at Jalisco (Jalisco leads series 2-1)

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional
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No Games Scheduled