SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS, Dominican Republic - He came here for a learning experience, but Jason Schiavone probably didn't know how quickly the learning experience would start.

After playing at three different levels of the Houston Astros' organization and finishing the year at Triple-A, Schiavone, the No. 6 ranked prospect in the Astros' chain by MLB Pipeline, came to the Leones del Escogido with the enthusiasm you'd expect from a 23-year-old prospect on the rise.

"The one thing I came here for and really wanted to incorporate is coming here and challenging myself with this type of baseball and this culture, and I'm just going to surround myself with it every day for the time I'm going to be here," Schiavone said before hte game. "I hope I keep getting better to improve my Spanish and learn this culture better, and you know, I just want to get better at Spanish and learn this culture and just be able to, you know, build a trust and meaningful relationship with a lot of Latin guys that come to America.

One of the things he'll be working on is defense. Catching veteran starter Radhames Liz, who started Saturday night's game at Estadio Tetelo Vargas against the Estrellas Orientales, Schiavone was tested quickly. In the first, with Raimel Tapia at the plate, Liz threw a 1-2 slider inside to Tapia, a lefty, that Shiavone couldn't stop, allowing Harold Ramirez to take second.

A 2-2 fastball found the ground and skittered away, and Ramirez took third, then scored when Tapia singled on the payoff pitch. Tapia later stole second and advanced to third when Schiavone's throw was well off the mark, finding its way into right center field.

"I expect him to be him, to not try to do too much, just go out there and have fun and compete," said Leones manager Ramon Santiago, who has the task of trying to lead the Leones to a third straight LIDOM title this season. "He has had a 30-30 season in the minor leagues this year. He is a very good athlete, and I think it's going to be a good addition for us."

Of course, that one tough inning won't define Schiavone's season here with the Leones. There's a lot of baseball left to be played, and a lot of learning ahead.

One of his biggest challenges will be handling the ever-changing pitching staff, as LIDOM teams go through pitchers the way an elementary school nurse goes through Band-Aids. But he's ready.

"Before every game, I'm going to meet with our pitching coach and then I'll learn from practices and games, talking with the guys and seeing what they're like playing, what they have and how they work, and go from there," he said.

And off the field, he's going to enjoy the cultural experience. His first game in the Dominican Republic came in the country's biggest and most famous stadium, Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal, against the Dominican equivalent of the New York Yankees, the Tigres del Licey.

Estadio Quisqueya is the home park for both teams, and amid the chaotic atmosphere of an inter-city rivalry, Schiavone fell in love with the Dominican baseball experience.

"It was incredible," he said prior to Saturday night's game. "I love the atmosphere, I love the people, I love the energy that everyone brings to that game, and it really shows a lot of what baseball means to all of us, and I can't thank God enough for it."

Estrellas Orientales (2-0) 8, Leones del Escogido (0-2) 3 - Call them the Green Machine. For the second night in a row, the Estrellas offense pounded opposing pitched and took advantage of errors in the field as they improved to 2-0 in the young season. harold Ramirez went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, while Ismail Munguia, Raimel Tapia, and Cesar Prieto each drove in two runs for the Estrellas. Starter Jaime Barria was stellar for the Green Machine, throwing five scoreless innings of one-hit ball, striking out two and walking none. Vidal Brujan, who appeared in nine games for the New York Mets in 2026, hit a solo homer in the ninth for Escogido.

Gigantes del Cibao (2-0) 7, Tigres del Licey (1-1) 1 - Batting in the eight-hole for the Gigantes, Jefferson Rojas had a fine Saturday evening, going 3-for-4 with two solo homers, three runs scored, and three RBIs as the Gigantes tamed the Tigres, and Agustin Ramirez hit a solo homer for Cibao in the second. Using eight pitchers over the course of the game, the Gigantes held the Tigres to just four hits and walked five batters, with Licey's only run coming on a bases-loaded walk to Francisco Mejia in the seventh.

Toros del Este (1-1) 5, Aguilas Cibaenas (0-2) 3 - Leonel Valera had a pair of doubles and Gilberto Celestino drove in a pair of runs as the Toros rebounded from their opening night drubbing with a win. Five relievers combined to throw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, with Joe Corbett earning his first save of the year, striking out two in the ninth. Mason McCoy's third inning double drove in two runs for the Aguilas.

Where to Watch – The Dominican Republic’s LIDOM and the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico are streamed live on MLB.tv with commentary in Spanish. You’ll need to have a subscription to watch.

Tonight's LIDOM Schedule
All times Eastern Daylight Time
5 p.m. - Gigantes del Cibao (2-0) at Aguilas Cibaenas (0-2)
5 p.m. - Toros del Este (1-1) at Estrellas Orientales (2-0)
5 p.m. - Leones del Escogido (0-2) at Tigres del Licey (1-1)