Same game. Same night. Junior Lake stole home in the second inning of Game 5 of the 2026 Serie del Rey, then came back in the ninth to hit the go-ahead home run — lifting the Toros de Tijuana over the Olmecas de Tabasco 6-5. Tijuana now leads the series 3-2 and needs just one more win to claim the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol championship.
How the Steal of Home Happened
Second inning, two outs, runners on the corners. Gilberto Celestino was at the plate facing Olmecas starter Austin Warner. Lake took off from third and slid in before Warner or catcher José Godoy could react. Just like that: 3-0 Toros before the inning was over.
What makes the play even sharper is that it was the pitcher’s lapse, not the catcher’s, that opened the door. Lake read Warner’s movement on the mound and went. Simple to describe, nearly impossible to execute.
According to @Beisbolpuro on X, Lake had previously pulled off a steal of home on August 4, 2021, in Game 2 of a first-round playoff series against the Rieleros de Aguascalientes. The same thread suggests there may be no precedent for a steal of home in 21 years of Serie del Rey play — though that specific claim hasn’t been independently confirmed, so we’re treating it carefully until the LMB validates it.
The Ninth Inning That Closed It Out
Hernán Pérez had complicated things with a solo home run in the eighth that tied the game at 5-5, erasing the early cushion Lake had helped build. Pérez finished 4-for-4 with three RBI — the most productive Olmecas hitter on the night — but it wasn’t enough.
In the top of the ninth, with Francis Peguero on the mound, Lake stepped up again. His home run off Peguero made it 6-5 and that’s where it stayed. A night that started with the most daring play in baseball ended with the most timely swing of the series.
Why This Series Matters
Tijuana finished the 2026 regular season with a 60-31 record, the best mark in the North Division. Tabasco went 54-38 and reached this final for the first time in 33 years. It’s the first Serie del Rey ever played between these two franchises.
Game 6 goes Tuesday, September 15 at Toros Mobil Park in Tijuana, with Adonis Medina starting for the home side against Jeremy Rhoades — the same pitching matchup from Game 2. The Toros have a chance to close it out on their own field.
The Man Behind the Moments
Lake, a native of San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic, carries at least 94 career home runs with the Toros — the franchise’s all-time record. In 2022, he set an LMB record by stealing three bases on a single play against the Mariachis de Guadalajara. Game 5 was just the latest reminder of why he’s been the most aggressive baserunner in the league for years.
