Olmecas de Tabasco 10, Pericos de Puebla 8 - The Olmecas de Tabasco are returning to the Serie del Rey for the first time in 33 years.

Trailing 4-1 after six innings, the Olmecas exploded for eight runs in the top of the seventh to pull ahead of Puebla and then survived two late rallies by the Pericos to win Game 5 of the Serie Campeonato 10-8 and claim a 4-1 series victory.

After scoring two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead, the Pericos got a solo homer in the bottom of the second from Henry Ramos and another in the bottom of the third from Michael De La Cruz.

Puebla starter Fernando Lozano allowed one run over five innings, and Hunter McMahon threw a scoreless sixth for the Pericos before Emailin Montilla took the mound for the top of the seventh.

Montilla struggled immediately, allowing four consecutive singles on just nine pitches, with the last two singles, one by Marco Hernandez and another by Seth Beer, each sending a runner home to make it 4-3.

Tyler McKay came in to replace Montilla and allowed a game-tying double to Oscar Gonzalez on the first pitch he threw, then Calvin Estrada followed Gonzalez with a two-run single two pitches later and the Olmecas led 6-4. Another double, this time by Jose Godoy, gave Tabasco runners at second and third, and a six-pitch walk to Carlos Arellano loaded the bases and chased McKay from the game.

On came Tiago Da Silva, who retired Domingo Leyba and Randy Romero before walking Phillip Ervin, which sent another run home, and then a fielding error by Pericos second baseman Samar Leyva allowed Marco Hernandez to reach base for the second time in the inning and Jose Godoy to score to make it 9-4.

A solo homer by Oscar Gonzalez an inning later gave the Olmecas a six-run lead.

The Pericos added two runs in the bottom of the eighth and got two more runs in the ninth, but never got the tying run out of the on-deck circle.

With the win, Tabasco advances to the Serie del Rey for the first time since 1993, when they won their only LMB championship. They'll face the Toros de Tijuana, who went 60-31 in the regular season and defeated the Sultanes de Monterrey in the Zona Norte Serie Campeonato.

2026 LMB Serie Campeonato Schedule
All times Eastern Daylight Time
* - If Necessary

Aug. 28
Toros de Tijuana 2, Sultanes de Monterrey 0 - Game 1

Aug. 29
Pericos de Puebla 5, Olmecas de Tabasco 1 - Game 1
Sultanes de Monterrey 4, Toros de Tijuana 0 - Game 2

Aug. 30
Olmecas de Tabasco 4, Pericos de Puebla 3 (11 Innings) - Game 2

Aug. 31
Toros de Tijuana 6, Sultanes de Monterrey 5 (11 Innings) - Game 3

Sept. 1
Olmecas de Tabasco at Pericos de Puebla - Game 3 - Postponed Due to Rain
Toros de Tijuana 15, Sultanes de Monterrey 7 - Game 4

Sept. 2
Olmecas de Tabasco 6, Pericos de Puebla 5 - Game 3
Toros de Tijuana 10, Sultanes de Monterrey 1 - Game 5

Sept. 3
Olmecas de Tabasco 2, Pericos de Puebla 1 - Game 4

Sept. 4
Olmecas de Tabasco 10, Pericos de Puebla 8 - Game 5