Escogido fans gathered at the Quisqueya Ball Park, their home stadium, thought it was a loss. It was the ninth inning and the team was losing 6-2 in the first game of the series of seven to decide the champion of the Dominican Winter Professional Baseball League (Lidom) for the 2025-2026 season.
For the fans of Leones del Escogido gathered at Quisqueya Ballpark, the night felt like a slow-motion heartbreak. By the ninth inning, with the team trailing 6-2 in the opening game of the playoffs, many assumed the loss was already written in the books and left early. They had suffered through eight innings of frustration, watching their home team struggle to find a rhythm against the Toros del Este.
However, in a stunning turn of events, the team delivered. The atmosphere shifted from despair to hope as the Leones ignited an explosive four-run rally in their final at-bat.
The momentum began when Sócrates Brito doubled to left field, driving in Héctor Rodríguez. Junior Lake followed with a single that brought Erik González home, narrowing the deficit to 6-4. Venezuelan infielder Alcides Escobar stepped up and laced a hit to left field, scoring both Brito and Lake to tie the game at 6-6. With the bases loaded and only one out, Franchy Cordero hit a deep sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Yamaico Navarro to tag up and score the winning run.
The game ended with a spectacular 7-6 comeback victory of the Leones del Escogido over the Toros del Este. While Travis Lakins Jr. struggled early for the Toros, allowing three runs and a home run in just one inning of work, the Escogido bullpen would decide the game.
The series now moves to La Romana, where game 2 will be played on Thursday, 22 January 2026 starting at 7:30pm.
This is the first time the Leones del Escogido and the Toros del Este face off in a best-of-seven championship series. This matchup marks a significant milestone for the league. Prior to this season, a playoff between these two clubs was one of only two pairings that had never occurred in Lidom history (the other being Toros vs. Gigantes del Cibao).
Moises Mejia writing for Listin Diario analyzes the chances of both teams. He remarks that while the Toros hold the edge in starting pitching, the Leones enter the series with momentum and a deeper lineup. In a short series, Escogido’s offensive versatility may give them a slight edge as the slight favorites.
He writes that the 2025-2026 final series likely hinges on whether Escogido’s relentless bats can overcome the Toros’ elite starting pitching. Escogido’s rotation, led by Trevor Lakins and José Urquidy, will need to hold its own against a Toros offense anchored by MVP Bryan De La Cruz and a resurgent Eloy Jiménez.
Listin Diario highlights that if the Toros win, they will become the first team in history to defeat all four founding franchises (Águilas, Estrellas, Licey, and Escogido) in a Final. Meanwhile, the Leones are chasing back-to-back titles. A victory would mark their second “bi-campeonato” in the last 14 years (following 2012–2013). Likewise, Junior Lake, the veteran outfielder, is seeking his fifth Lidom ring. Remarkably, he has already won championships with four different teams: Estrellas, Toros, Águilas, and Leones.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Lidom
Lidom
22 January 2026