The Diablos Rojos del México left no room for doubt in Game 6: they blanked the Guerreros de Oaxaca 11-0 on Saturday, August 15 at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú, with Trevor Bauer delivering four clean innings and the offense doing its damage in a two-inning wrecking ball. The 2026 LMB First Playoff series is now tied 3-3, and the defending back-to-back champions will play for their spot in Game 7 on Sunday, August 16.
Eleven Runs in Two Innings — No Mercy
Oaxaca starter James Kaprielian didn’t survive the second inning. The Mexico City offense came at him early and chased him after just one and two-thirds frames. Then the flood gates opened.
- In the second inning, Jon Singleton crushed a two-run home run, also driving in Juan Carlos Gamboa, to ignite the rally.
- In the third, Franklin Barreto — who owns a team-best 1.095 OPS in the 2026 season — launched a two-run shot of his own.
- Gamboa, Carlos Sepúlveda, Carlos Pérez and Julián Ornelas all added RBIs to push the lead to 11-0 before the third inning was even finished.
The kind of inning that defines a series. Oaxaca never had an answer, and the Diablos cruised the rest of the way.
Bauer Handles His Business, Four Relievers Finish the Shutout
Bauer had missed Game 1 of this same series with neck discomfort detected minutes before first pitch. On Saturday he took the mound with a clear assignment: keep the deficit out of Oaxaca’s reach and hand the series back to the red side. He did exactly that, retiring hitters for four innings without allowing a single run.
Efraín Contreras, Nick Vespi and Edwin Fierro completed the combined shutout. Four pitchers, zero runs allowed. For context: in Game 3 of this series, Bauer had already gone seven innings, struck out 10 batters, and surrendered just three hits and one earned run in a 3-1 win. He has been the most reliable arm on this staff throughout the playoffs.
Series Tied 3-3 — What’s Actually at Stake in Game 7
There’s one thing worth clarifying before Sunday: the Diablos have already clinched a spot in the next round as the best runner-up from the South Zone based on their regular-season standing, regardless of Game 7’s outcome. But that doesn’t mean this series is meaningless — Oaxaca can still eliminate them from the direct path and force them to enter the semifinals through the back door.
For a team chasing a three-peat — something the Diablos have never accomplished in their recent history — sneaking in as a wild card isn’t the plan. These are the same champions who swept their way to back-to-back Serie del Rey titles in 2024 and 2025, going 4-0 against the Sultanes and 4-0 against the Charros — the first franchise in LMB history to sweep consecutive championship series.
An 11-0 blowout brings confidence, momentum and fresh arms into Game 7. The rest gets settled on the field Sunday.
