Tomateros de Culiacán Advance to Caribbean Series Championship
Primary Topic: Caribbean Series Baseball Tournament – 2026 Semifinal Results
Primary Keyword: caribbean Series
Secondary Keywords: Tomateros de Culiacán,Leones del Escogido,Charros de Jalisco,baseball,Mexico,Dominican Republic,Puerto Rico,Caribbean Series Championship
GUADALAJARA,Mexico – The 68th Caribbean Series will crown a new champion after Tomateros de Culiacán (Mexico Green) defeated the defending champions,Leones del Escogido (Dominican Republic),9-4 in the tournament’s first semifinal game on Friday.
Culiacán’s victory sets up a championship showdown with Charros de Jalisco (Mexico Red), who defeated Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico) 8-6 in the second semifinal contest. The championship game will be played Saturday night.
The Leones del Escogido, aiming to become the first team to win back-to-back caribbean Series titles as Puerto Rico’s Criollos de Caguas in 2017-18, initially took a 2-0 lead. Though, Tomateros de Culiacán rallied with a strong offensive performance.
Estevan Florial led the Culiacán attack with a crucial three-run home run, his second consecutive game hitting a home run against the Dominican Republic champions. Luis Verdugo whent 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Victor mendoza was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, and Yadir Drake added a 3-for-5 performance with an RBI and a run.
Culiacán’s pitching, led by starter David Reyes (4 2/3 innings, two runs allowed), effectively shut down the Leones offense after the early lead. Relievers Anthony Gose, Norman Elenes, Sasagi Sanchez, Rafael Cordova, and Lupe Chavez combined to limit escogido to just two additional runs.
Despite a strong showing throughout the tournament, including a record-breaking 16-15 win over Panama’s Federales de Chiquirí, the Leones del Escogido struggled with pitching consistency in their final two games, ultimately leading to their elimination. Escogido’s pitching staff posted a 7.77 ERA with a 9.49 ERA from the bullpen.
“We weren’t able to execute our pitches in the big moments,” said Escogido manager Ramón Santiago. “Thay executed and we didn’t.”
The Tomateros de Culiacán will seek their first Caribbean Series title as 2002 when they face the Charros de Jalisco for the championship.
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