Winter Ball Playoffs: Tomateros de Culiacan One Win From Caribbean Series; Toros del Este Need Two More Wins To Reach Final

Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico

Aguilas de Mexicali 6, Charros de Jalisco 5 (11 Innings) – Yadir Drake’s sac fly in the 11th got Marco Jaime home with the game-ending run as the Aguilas cut the Charros’ series lead to 2-1. Drake went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, also notching a solo homer in the third and an RBI single in the fifth, while Estevan Florial went 3-for-3 and scored twice, hitting a solo homer in the first and an RBI single in the second. Mateo Gil and Alejandro Osuna each hit solo homers for the Charros.

Tomateros de Culiacan 4, Algodoneros de Guasave 2 – Luis Verdugo’s two-out, fourth-inning single scored Ichiro Cano to get the Tomateros on the board, Poncho Ruiz followed with a double that scored Fernando Villegas, and Orlando Martinez hit a two-run single in the fifth to get Culiacan within a win of their first trip to the Caribbean Series since 2021. Tomateros starter Fineas Del Bonta Smith allowed two runs on two hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings and struck out five.

LIDOM

Leones del Escogido (11-4) 5, Gigantes del Cibao (2-13) 1 – A solo homer by Alcides Escobar to lead off the game and a three-run triple by Jose Marmolejos in the top of the first give the Leones all the offense they’d need to earn their 10th win of the round robin. Starter Jose Urquidy allowed two hits over five scoreless innings and struck out four, and four Leones relievers combined two allow two hits and one run over the final four innings. Jose Siri’s third homer run of the round robin scored Cibao’s only run in the fifth.

39-year-old Alcides Escobar's team in the Venezuelan Winter League didn't qualify for the postseason so now he's playing in LIDOM for the first time ever, leading off and playing 3B for Leones del Escogido, the defending champs

leadoff HR tonight:pic.twitter.com/SakssAk3px

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) January 14, 2026

Toros del Este (9-6) 3, Aguilas Cibaenas (8-6) 0 – The Toros’ Jeimer Candelario’s seventh-inning double scored Eric Filia and Yairo Munoz, and Sergio Alcantara’s sac fly got Candelario home for a 3-0 lead that the Aguilas were unable to scratch. Four Toros relievers combined to hold the Aguilas scoreless over the final 4 1/3 innings, with Joe Corbett earning his fifth save of the postseason for the Toros, who can clinch a berth in the LIDOM final with two more wins.

Doblete súper productor de Jeimer Candelario ????#RoundRobinLIDOM #CopaBanreservas pic.twitter.com/RtLeyIiXBW

— LIDOM (@LIDOMRD) January 15, 2026

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional

Cardenales de Lara (5-2) 9, Bravos de Margarita (2-5) – Danry Vasquez hit a two-run homer and Luisangel Acuna went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored as the Cardenales improved to 5-2 in the round robin. Lara starter Wilmer Font allowed five runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings, but five relievers locked down the win, combining to allow one run on four hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. Jose Rondon hit a solo homer for the Bravos and

Navegantes del Magallanes (2-5) 4, Caribes de Anzoategui (5-3) 1 – Yasiel Puig hit a solo homer in the fourth and a two-run homer in the sixth, driving in three of his team’s four runs as they got their second win of the playoffs. Starter Esmil Rogers threw five scoreless innings for the Navegantes, walking one and striking out four.

Thursday’s Winter Ball Playoff Schedule
All times Eastern Standard Time

LIDOM 
Streaming Live on MLB.tv with a subscription
6 p.m. –  Leones del Escogido (11-4) at Toros del Este (9-6)
6 p.m. – Gigantes del Cibao (2-13) at Aguilas Cibaenas (8-7)

LBPRC
Games streamed live on the LBPRC’s YouTube page
6 p.m. – Cangrejeros de Santurce at Leones de Ponce – Game 3 – Santurce leads series 2-0

Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico
Streaming Live on MLB.tv with a subscription
9:30 p.m. – Tomateros de Culiacan at Algodoneros de Guasave – Game 4 – Culiacan leads series 3-0
10:30 p.m. – Charros de Jalisco at Aguilas de Mexicali – Game 4 – Jalisco leads series 2-1

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional
Streaming on BeisbolPlay with a subscription
6 p.m. – Aguilas del Zulia (4-3) at Navegantes del Magallanes (2-5)
6 p.m. – Bravos de Margarita (2-5) at Cardenales de Lara (5-2)

Photo: The Tomateros de Culiacan are one win away from a trip to the Caribbean Series after winning game three of their series against the Algodoneros de Guasave. (Photo courtesy of LAMP)