The Dominican Winter League Championship finished its regular series with a single game play-off between the surging Leones del Escogido and the fading Gigantes del Cibao. Thanks in part to the Aguilas Cibaenas who defeated the Gigantes in their last game of the season on Friday night, 21 December, and in part by their victory, 3-1, over the Tigres del Licey that same night, the Leones had a chance to make the playoffs. The social, economic and psychological consequences of a team from Santo Domingo not being in the Round Robin portion of the playoffs are probably off the scale, unheard of, not possible. However, the Leones clinched a spot in the next phase with that 3-1 victory, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Starting tomorrow, Thursday 27 December the remaining four teams will begin a round robin-style of play that will go for four rounds with the top two teams then entering a best of nine final series. The teams finished the first part in this order: Aguilas, Estrellas, Toros, Leones. As a result, tomorrow night at 7:30, the Aguilas will host the Leones del Escogido in the Estadio Cibao and the Estrellas Orientales will host their nearby rivals from La Romana, the Toros del Este, in the Tetelo Vargas Stadium at 8pm. Aguilas manager Felix Fermin has announced that his starting pitcher will be Lorenzo Barcelo.