GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- The 68th Caribbean Series kicked off Sunday at Estadio Panamericano de Béisbol in Guadalajara. The first two games, part of a five-day, round-robin phase with two contests each day among 2025-26 winter league champions -- followed by two semifinal games scheduled for Friday and a championship contest on Saturday -- were not for the faint of heart.
All Caribbean Series games will air live on MLB Network and stream on MLBN Direct-To-Consumer and MLB.TV.
The first game Sunday featured Puerto Rico’s Cangrejeros de Santurce -- managed by Astros bench coach Omar López, who will also be at the helm for Team Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic -- coming back from an early four-run deficit with two runs in the fourth, one in the seventh and a two-run, walk-off single by designated hitter Rubén Castro to shock Mexico’s Tomateros de Culiacán in the opener with a 5-4 win.
The event’s opening ceremony between games was followed by the ceremonial pitch before the second contest by former Giants closer Sergio Romo, who played for the host club’s Charros de Jalisco in parts of three seasons and represented the team in two Caribbean Series.
Sunday’s nightcap was another close contest, a 5-4 win for the Dominican Republic’s Leones del Escogido -- who are trying to become just the fourth club in the tournament’s history to win back-to-back titles -- over Mexico’s Charros de Jalisco. The big blow for Escogido was a three-run double by former Cubs, Orioles and Blue Jays outfielder Junior Lake, who is playing in his ninth Caribbean Series and is the tournament’s active leader in games played (49), plate appearances (164) and RBIs (22).
Monday’s schedule includes a matchup between both of Sunday’s winning teams, Santurce and Escogido, at 3:00 p.m. ET. The winner of that game will go to 2-0 and will be in a strong position to clinch a spot in one of Friday’s semifinal games.
The second game on Monday at 8 p.m. ET will mark the debut of Panama’s club in the tournament, Federales de Chiquirí, which is managed by José Mayorga, who will also skipper Team Panama in the World Baseball Classic. The Federales will face the Charros, also managed by a World Baseball Classic skipper, Team Mexico's Benji Gil. Gil’s club, which won the Mexican Pacific League for the second straight year last month, will look to avoid falling to 0-2 in the tournament.