The second round of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol playoffs begins tonight when the two series in the Zona Norte get underway.
At 9:30 p.m. EDT, the Sultanes de Monterrey face the Caliente de Durango, and at 10:35 p.m. EDT, the Charros de Jalisco face the Toros de Tijuana as each series gets underway.
The Toros, who won the Zona Norte title in the regular season after going 60-31, will face the Charros, who finished fourth in the regular season standings at 48-45 and advanced to the second round despite losing their first round series four games to one to the Sultanes de Monterrey.
The Toros easily dispatched the Algodoneros de Union Laguna four games to one in the first round, outscoring the Algos 32-19 over the five games of the series. Isaac Rodriguez and Gilberto Celestino led the Toros offense in the first round, each scoring six runs while Rodriguez went 8-for-18 and Celestino went 7-for-17.
For Jalisco, the role of giant-slayer is a familiar one from last season, when Benji Gil's club knocked off the top-seeded Sultanes de Monterrey - coincidentally managed by current Toros manager Roberto Kelly - in two separate series to advance to the Serie del Rey.
Despite losing the series four games to one to Monterrey, the Charros clubbed eight homers in the series, outscored Monterrey 27-23, and two of their four losses were by a single run. Seven different Charros each hit a homer in the series, with Jared Walsh hitting two.
The big questions for the Charros to answer, though, are whether they can stay hot against the Toros' elite pitching staff and hold off the Tijuana lineup, which features multiple former Major Leaguers.
Former Baltimore Oriole Manny Barreda will start Game 1 for the Charros against Tijuana's Daniel Martinez. Martinez, a candidate for the LMB's Pitcher of the Year award, led the league in ERA with a 1.94 mark over 88 1/3 innings across 17 starts this season.
Having beaten the Charros, the Sultanes de Monterrey head to Durango, where the Caliente are making the first playoff appearance by a team from Durango since 1978.
Daniel Johnson hit two doubles, four homers (including three in Game 2), and drove in 10 runs in the first round series win against Monclova and went 9-for-17, posting a slugging percentage of 1.353 over the five games and an absurd OPS of 1.924. Teammate Yariel Gonzalez went 8-for-16 with five RBIs as the Caliente outscored the Acereros 39-18.
Eight different Durango pitchers combined to throw 20 1/3 scoreless innings in the opening round series against Monclova, and only one of them, Spencer Turnbull, is a starter, signaling that the Durango bullpen, which also includes 2025-26 LIDOM saves leader Joe Corbett, is a force to be reckoned with.
In the other dugout, former Pittsburgh Pirate Manny Banuelos was stellar over two starts in the first round for Monterrey, throwing 12 2/3 total innings and allowing one run on four hits, walking five and striking out eight.
The Sultanes lineup lacks a fearsome bat like that of Johnson or Gonzalez, though former Major Leaguers Socrates Brito, Harold Ramirez, and Omar Narvaez are close, each having eight hits in the first round.
A full schedule for the LMB's second playoff round is below.
Where to Watch – All Liga Mexicana de Beisbol games are streamed live with a subscription on LMB TV, and a season subscription is on sale for MX$799 (about US$46) until April 30. Select games are streamed live on the YouTube page for Latin American network Claro Sports.
LMB Series de Zona Schedule
All times Eastern Daylight Time
* - If Necessary
Tuesday, Aug. 18
9:30 p.m. - Sultanes de Monterrey at Caliente de Durango - Game 1
10:35 p.m. - Charros de Jalisco at Toros de Tijuana - Game 1
Wednesday, Aug. 19
9 p.m. - Pericos de Puebla at Diablos Rojos del Mexico - Game 1
9:30 p.m. - Guerreros de Oaxaca at Olmecas de Tabasco - Game 1
9:30 p.m. - Sultanes de Monterrey at Caliente de Durango - Game 2
10:35 p.m. - Charros de Jalisco at Toros de Tijuana - Game 2
Thursday, Aug. 20
9 p.m. - Pericos de Puebla at Diablos Rojos del Mexico - Game 2
9:30 p.m. - Guerreros de Oaxaca at Olmecas de Tabasco - Game 2
Friday, Aug. 21
9:30 p.m. - Caliente de Durango at Sultanes de Monterrey - Game 3
10:35 p.m. - Toros de Tijuana at Charros de Jalisco - Game 3
Saturday, Aug. 22
6 p.m. - Diablos Rojos del Mexico at Pericos de Puebla - Game 3
7 p.m. - Olmecas de Tabasco at Guerreros de Oaxaca - Game 3
7 p.m. - Caliente de Durango at Sultanes de Monterrey - Game 4
9:30 p.m. - Toros de Tijuana at Charros de Jalisco - Game 4
Sunday, Aug. 23
4 p.m. - Diablos Rojos del Mexico at Pericos de Puebla - Game 4
7 p.m. - Olmecas de Tabasco at Guerreros de Oaxaca - Game 4
7 p.m. - Caliente de Durango at Sultanes de Monterrey - Game 5*
7 p.m. - Toros de Tijuana at Charros de Jalisco - Game 5*
Monday, Aug. 24
9 p.m. - Diablos Rojos del Mexico at Pericos de Puebla - Game 5*
9 p.m. - Olmecas de Tabasco at Guerreros de Oaxaca - Game 5*
Tuesday, Aug. 25
9:30 p.m. - Sultanes de Monterrey at Caliente de Durango - Game 6*
10:35 p.m. - Charros de Jalisco at Toros de Tijuana - Game 6*
Wednesday, Aug. 26
9 p.m. - Pericos de Puebla at Diablos Rojos del Mexico - Game 6*
9:30 p.m. - Guerreros de Oaxaca at Olmecas de Tabasco - Game 6*
9:30 p.m. - Sultanes de Monterrey at Caliente de Durango - Game 7*
10:35 p.m. - Charros de Jalisco at Toros de Tijuana - Game 7*
Thursday, Aug. 27
9 p.m. - Pericos de Puebla at Diablos Rojos del Mexico - Game 7*
9:30 p.m. - Guerreros de Oaxaca at Olmecas de Tabasco - Game 7*
Photo: Daniel Johnson hit four homers in the first round for the Caliente de Durango, including three in Game 2. They'll face the Sultanes de Monterrey in the second round. (Photo courtesy of the Caliente de Durango)