Mexico led Panama 3-1 in the Caribbean Series heading into the bottom of the ninth. They wanted to bring in closer Luis Marquez, but the umpires blocked it because his name wasn’t on the lineup card. That forced Mexico to turn to Jake Sanchez, who had to step in cold and try to close out the win. He started strong with a mix of two-seamers and cutters, showing some good movement and staying low in the zone. He hit a batter but kept things under control at first. One runner came around but not the tying run.
With two outs and a one-run lead, Sanchez stayed mostly low and tried to keep the ball away. Then, with runners on, he shook off a sign and left a breaking pitch up. Panama tied the game on a soft single up the middle. The crowd exploded. Sanchez tried sticking with two-seam fastballs after that, but a well-hit ball to left split the outfielders. Two runs scored, and Panama walked it off in dramatic fashion. It was a rough sequence for Mexico, from the lineup mistake to the last pitch. Panama took full advantage and moved on with a stunning comeback.