Mazatlán opens the second half of the LMP on the road against Los Mochis, one of the strongest teams in the tournament, with three pitching duels that will set the tone for their attempt to bounce back after a difficult start.
Venados de Mazatlán will look to turn the page and reset their course from day one of the second half as they visit the Cañeros de Los Mochis at the Estadio Emilio Ibarra Almada — a stadium that has historically been a tough visit for the red team, and where the home squad has been showing great consistency.
The series opens with left-hander Braulio Torres-Pérez (0–2, 3.65 ERA), who has shown solidity despite not receiving the offensive support needed to translate outings into wins. He will face Darel Torres (4–1, 3.11 ERA), one of the most dominant arms in the Mochis rotation and a key piece in the team’s strong first half.
For Game 2, Jonatan Bernal (1–2, 7.24 ERA) will take on the responsibility of stopping a Los Mochis offense that tends to elevate its level at home. He’ll be opposed by Omar Araujo (2–3, 3.96 ERA), a control-focused starter coming off strong outings and a potentially difficult challenge for a Venados lineup that urgently needs to wake up.
The series finale brings an intriguing matchup between Nolan Kingham (1–3, 3.38 ERA), one of Mazatlán’s most reliable pitchers, and Jake Dykhoff, who will make his season debut for the Cañeros. Kingham’s experience could be crucial in helping Venados try to leave the north with a win.
Winning series will be the goal
Mazatlán ended the first half at 12–23, finishing in ninth place with only 4 points, meaning they’ll need a much more consistent performance to stay in contention for direct qualification. In contrast, Los Mochis closed at 21–14, establishing themselves as one of the most balanced and competitive teams in the league.
For Venados, this series is more than just a restart — it’s their chance to send a message that they’re ready to compete and correct the course after a first half in which results simply didn’t come. Now, with a fresh second half and a much smaller margin for error, every game matters more than ever.