Caliente de Durango is one win away from the next round. The Guerreritos rolled past the Acereros de Monclova 7-2 in Game 4 of the 2026 LMB Banorte First Playoff on Wednesday night in Monclova, and now hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The decisive blow came in the fourth inning — a Jonathan Villar home run that broke the tie and put the game out of reach for good.
The Home Run That Ended the Debate
The series was still very much alive when the fourth inning arrived. Then Villar stepped up with runners on base and launched a home run that stretched Durango’s lead to 5-2, silencing the Acereros in their own ballpark. It was his second consecutive postseason home run — he hit the first one in Game 3, when Durango shut out Monclova 7-0.
Villar is 35 years old and brings more than a decade of big-league experience to this lineup: 101 home runs and 239 stolen bases across stints with the Brewers, Orioles, Marlins, Blue Jays, Mets, and others. In 2016, he led all of MLB in stolen bases. Right now, in the LMB postseason, he’s the most dangerous bat Durango has.
Smeltzer Was Sharp, the Bullpen Was Cleaner
The pitching matched the offense. Devin Smeltzer started for Durango and worked five innings, allowing just two runs. Four relievers then combined to give up only one hit over the final four frames. Monclova — which had staged an eight-run comeback in the eighth and ninth innings to win Game 1 — had no room to pull off another miracle this time.
Durango’s offense spread the damage around as well. Yariel González, Víctor Márquez, and Daniel Johnson all contributed RBI singles. Johnson has been another genuine threat in this lineup — in Game 2, he hit three home runs to help Durango even the series at 1-1 after that opening-game collapse.
How the Series Stands
- Game 1: Acereros 12, Durango 6
- Game 2: Durango 9, Monclova (X)
- Game 3: Durango 7, Monclova 0
- Game 4: Durango 7, Monclova 2
Durango has won three straight and has not allowed a run over more than thirteen combined innings counting the back end of Game 4. That’s the kind of momentum that’s hard to stop.
Game 5 Is Tonight — Durango Can Close It Out in Monclova
Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday, August 13 at 7:30 PM Mexico City time at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle stadium in Monclova. Joan Adon takes the mound for Caliente; Jackson Goddard starts for the Acereros.
A Durango win ends it. A Monclova win keeps the series alive, with Games 6 and 7 — if needed — shifting back to Durango. Caliente finished the regular season as the second-best team in the North Zone behind the Toros de Tijuana, but in these playoffs they’ve been playing like the best team in the division. Monclova would need to win three straight to survive. That’s a tall order when Villar is locked in.
