If you woke up this morning and immediately checked your phone to see who won the baseball game last night, you probably noticed that the Major League Baseball diamonds are quiet right now. It is January, after all. The frozen grass of Fenway and the empty seats at Dodger Stadium are a far cry from the October madness we usually associate with "big" baseball.
But here is the thing: baseball never truly sleeps. It just migrates.
While MLB stars are currently posting workout videos on Instagram or haggling over arbitration numbers, the real competitive action is happening in the winter leagues. Last night, January 13, 2026, was a massive night for the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (LBPRC) in Puerto Rico and the LIDOM round-robin in the Dominican Republic. If you’re looking for a winner, you have to look toward the Caribbean.
The Big Winner: Cangrejeros de Santurce Edge Out a Thriller
The headline of the night comes from the Roberto Clemente championship series in Puerto Rico. The Cangrejeros de Santurce took down the Leones de Ponce in a 5-4 nail-biter that had everything a baseball fan could want. It wasn’t just a win; it was a statement.
It’s Game 1 of a best-of-seven series. You've got Andrew Velazquez and Nelson Velázquez (no relation, but both absolute studs) basically carrying the offensive load. Nelson, who is currently a free agent in the MLB world, reminded everyone why he belongs on a big-league roster by crushing a two-run homer in the third.
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But the real drama happened in the ninth. Imagine being Robert Gsellman. You're trying to close it out, and Alex Dickerson—a name many San Francisco Giants fans will remember—launches a game-tying blast over the right-center wall. The stadium went silent. Ponce tied it at 4-4 with two outs. Heartbreaking? Kinda.
Then came the bottom of the ninth. Ruben Castro stepped up. With a runner on first, he ripped a double into the left-field corner. Jeremy Arocho didn't just run; he flew. He dove headfirst into home plate to secure the walk-off 5-4 victory. Santurce leads the series 1-0. If you missed that game, you missed the best baseball played on the planet yesterday.
Why Winter Ball Results Actually Matter Right Now
Most casual fans think winter ball is just a bunch of "has-beens" or "never-will-bes" playing for a paycheck. Honestly, that’s just wrong. These leagues are the primary pipeline for scouting talent that shows up in the MLB later that year.
In the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM), the stakes are even higher because they are in the thick of a round-robin tournament to decide who goes to the Caribbean Series.
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- Escogido is currently holding a three-game lead with only five games left to play.
- Águilas Cibaeñas and Este are neck-and-neck for second place.
- Toros del Este managed a huge shutout win against Escogido last night (3-0), proving that even the leaders aren't invincible.
When you ask who won the baseball game last night, you’re often looking for that MLB fix. But watching a LIDOM game where the fans are literally dancing in the aisles and every pitch feels like Game 7 of the World Series? That’s a different kind of energy. It’s raw. It’s loud. And the quality of play, especially with guys like Ruben Rivera tossing eight dominant innings for Santurce earlier this week, is shockingly high.
What’s Happening with MLB? (The "Last Night" You Might Be Looking For)
If you were searching for the Yankees, Red Sox, or Dodgers score, I have some bad news. There were no MLB games last night. The 2026 Spring Training schedule doesn't kick off until February 20th.
However, the "game" behind the game is in full swing.
Yesterday, the baseball world was buzzing about the 2026 Hall of Fame projections and the final stages of salary arbitration. We are seeing teams like the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers finalize their rosters. The "win" for those teams last night wasn't on a scoreboard; it was in a front office.
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Looking Ahead: The Next Big Matchups
If you want to catch the next game, you don't have to wait until April. The LBPRC championship continues tonight at Estadio Hiram Bithorn. Ponce is going to be hungry for revenge after that walk-off loss.
Also, keep an eye on the Australian Baseball League (ABL). Because of the time difference, those games are often finishing up just as we’re eating breakfast in the States. The Melbourne Aces and Adelaide Giants have been swapping the top spot in the standings all week.
Your Actionable Baseball Cheat Sheet
If you’re a fan trying to stay relevant during the MLB off-season, here is what you should do today:
- Check the LIDOM Standings: The round-robin is ending. If Escogido slips up one more time, the race for the finals gets chaotic.
- Follow the Caribbean Series News: All these winter league winners (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela) will meet in Guadalajara, Mexico, in early February. That is the "World Series" of the winter.
- Set Your Spring Training Alerts: Mark February 20, 2026, on your calendar. That is when the Yankees face the Orioles and the Cubs take on the White Sox in Arizona and Florida.
The score might not have been on ESPN's front page this morning, but for fans in San Juan and Santo Domingo, the game last night was the only one that mattered. Santurce won the night, but the season is far from over.
To stay on top of tonight's winter league action, you can follow the live box scores on the official MLB Winter Leagues page or through the LIDOM app. Keep an eye on the pitching matchups—that’s where these short series are won or lost.