Tomateros de Culiacán to the Caribbean Series Final 2026
The Tomateros de Culiacán, representing Mexico, secured their place in the final of the 2026 Caribbean Series after defeating the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Republic with a score of 9-4. The semi-final match took place at the Pan American Stadium.
The Mexican offense demonstrated its power by connecting 13 hits, highlighting a crucial home run by Dominican Esteban Florial in the fourth inning, which marked a turning point in the game and gave Culiacán the definitive advantage.
This triumph represents the second consecutive victory of the Tomateros over the Dominican team, after their match in the last round of the round robin. With this result, the Mexican team repeats the feat of the Tigres del Licey in 2012, who also reached the final after finishing second in their local league.
Florial: The Turning Point
The Lions took the lead early in the game. In the second inning, a double by Franchy Cordero and a run-scoring single by Marcos Hernández put the score at 1-0. In the third, they took advantage of walks and a defensive error to increase their lead to 2-0.
However, the fourth inning changed the course of the game. With two outs and runners on base, the Dominican manager took out starting pitcher Oscar de la Cruz and brought in reliever Kenny Hernandez to face Florial. The outfielder didn’t fail and hit a home run that turned the score 3-2 in favor of the Mexicans.
From that moment on, Culiacán dominated the game. In the sixth inning, they scored two more runs, thanks to timely singles and a sacrifice fly by Alí Solís. The attack continued in the seventh, where they manufactured a cluster of four runs that practically sealed the game.
The Lions tried to react, loading the bases in the sixth inning and scoring one more run thanks to a walk to Gustavo Núñez, but they failed to capitalize on their opportunities.
Performance in the Montículo
David Reyes opened for Culiacán, pitching four innings and allowing two runs. Anthonny Gose took the win as a reliever, while Kenny Hernández took the loss.
By the Escogido, Oscar de la Cruz pitched 3.1 innings before being relieved in the fourth episode. The Dominican bullpen couldn’t stop the Mexican offense in the final innings.
Waiting for the opponent
With this victory, the Tomateros advance to Saturday’s grand final and await the winner of the match between the Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico) and the Charros de Jalisco (Mexico).
The Sinaloa team will seek the championship of the 2026 Caribbean Series, after an outstanding offensive performance at the key moment of the tournament.
