In a game that will be etched into the record books of Caribbean baseball, the Caribbean Series defending champions Leones del Escogido (Dominican Republic) edged out the Federales de Chiriquí (Panama) with a staggering 16-15 victory on 4 February 2026 in Guadalajara, Mexico. This marathon matchup during the 68th Caribbean Series set a new historic milestone for the most combined runs in a single game.
The slugfest produced a total of 31 runs, shattering the previous Caribbean Series record of 28, which had stood since 1990 (when Hermosillo defeated San Juan 20-8 in Miami). The game was a relentless back-and-forth affair with 34 total hits (falling just three short of the all-time tournament record). Fifteen pitchers were used across both teams.
The hero of the night for Escogido was Marco Hernández. The Moca native put on a masterclass at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three doubles and a single. He was responsible for scoring three runs and driving in four, including a crucial double that drove in Elier Hernández to secure the run-scoring record.
The victory was credited to reliever Emailin Montilla, who stabilized the game in the eighth inning.
To seal the historic win, Jimmy Cordero took the mound in the ninth. Despite allowing two hits and a run, Cordero managed to navigate the high-tension inning to earn his third save of the series.
This victory marks Escogido’s fifth consecutive win, cementing their dominant form in the 2026 Caribbean Series while leaving fans with one of the most chaotic and entertaining games in the history of the “Little World Series.”
The Dominican Republic is scheduled to play Mexico (Green Team) on Thursday, 5 February. The Escogido Lions and the Mexico Red Team (Charros de Jalisco) have already secured their spots in the semifinal.
The Tomateros de Culiacán (Mexico Green) and the Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico) are contenders to make the semifinal game on Friday.
The final will be on Saturday, 7 February.
A championship win by the Escogido would make it their 6th Caribbean Series and the 24th for the Dominican Republic.
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Lidom
5 February 2026