Agustín Ramírez blasted a two-run home run in the 11th inning Tuesday, lifting Gigantes del Cibao past Tigres del Licey 5-4.
The extra-inning victory arrived in the ongoing 2026-27 championship of the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League, known as Lidom, as Gigantes required extra frames to overcome their long-standing rivals.
Ramírez delivered the decisive blow against Licey relief pitcher Oliver Ortega, driving a four-seam fastball 405 feet over the right-center field wall. The baseball had a hang time of 5.4 seconds and allowed Hendry Méndez to score alongside the Gigantes catcher to break the tie and put the club ahead.
Ramírez finished the contest 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two runs batted in and one run scored. Across 16 games during the current campaign, the catcher is batting259 with 14 hits, two home runs, eight RBIs, eight runs scored, a365 on-base percentage and an OPS of791.
Pitching duel and extra innings
Right-hander Antonio Santos started on the mound for Gigantes, working five innings and allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out five batters. Mel Rojas connected on a solo home run against Santos during his outing.
Mike Clevinger pitched three innings for Licey, conceding one earned run on two hits. Clevinger walked one batter and recorded two strikeouts.
Brent Honeywell earned the pitching victory in relief to improve to 1-0 on the season. Honeywell worked out of the bullpen and allowed two unearned runs in the 10th inning. Enmanuel Mejía earned the save to complete the victory for the club from San Francisco de Macorís. Ortega was tagged with the loss for Licey to fall to 0-1 after allowing the decisive home run to Ramírez in the 11th.
Key performances at the plate
Several other batters contributed for Gigantes alongside Ramírez. Nomar Mazara went 2-for-4 with a home run, one run scored and one RBI. Roldy Brito went 1-for-4 with a double and scored two runs. Marcell Ozuna finished 1-for-5, while Deyvison de los Santos also ended the game 1-for-5.
For Tigres del Licey, Gustavo Núñez went 2-for-5 to lead the team in hits. Cristian Adames batted 1-for-3 with a run scored. Rojas finished 1-for-4 with a home run, a run scored and an RBI, while Bryan Lavastida went 1-for-4 with one RBI.
Dominican winter league and ballparks
The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League is the premier professional winter circuit in the country, featuring six clubs competing through the winter months. The championship serves as high-level competition for domestic talent and North American major league players alike.
Tigres del Licey share Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo with Leones del Escogido. Gigantes del Cibao represent the northeastern city of San Francisco de Macorís at Estadio Julián Javier, while Estrellas Orientales play at Estadio Tetelo Vargas in San Pedro de Macorís, and Águilas Cibaeñas play at Estadio Cibao in Santiago.
League standings and upcoming fixtures
Following Tuesday's result, Leones del Escogido hold first place in the league standings with a 14-6 record and a700 winning percentage. Tigres del Licey stand second at 13-7, one game behind Escogido, while Gigantes del Cibao sit in third place with an even 10-10 mark.
Estrellas Orientales rank fourth with an 8-11 record, 5.5 games behind the leaders. Toros del Este sit in fifth place at 7-12, seven games back, while Águilas Cibaeñas round out the table in sixth at 6-12, 7.5 games out of first place.
Gigantes del Cibao and Tigres del Licey are scheduled to play each other again on Saturday, November 14, at Estadio Julián Javier in San Francisco de Macorís.
Before that meeting, league action continues with three games on the schedule. Toros del Este will visit Leones del Escogido at 7:15 p.m. at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal. At 7:30 p.m., Gigantes del Cibao face Estrellas Orientales at Estadio Tetelo Vargas, while Tigres del Licey visit Águilas Cibaeñas at Estadio Cibao.
