Yucatan Lions: The devil enters the cave

The Yucatan Lions are in the most unexpected position as their toughest opponent arrives to play a key series at Kukulcán Park.

With a five-game losing streak, all after a stretch of eight wins in 10 games, and with their morale at rock bottom, the Leones will host the Diablos Rojos del México , the superleaders of the Mexican League, tonight in the start of a three-game series.

Yucatán arrived home last week blazing hot, having won four straight series. But after beating Campeche in the first game of the series, an unthinkable debacle ensued, culminating in a sweep by the Querétaro Conspirators , the worst team in the LMB. Poor coaching by Ken Giles and decisions from the top brass put the Lions in a difficult position.

And now the Devils will be at the Mérida stadium. The Pingos have won virtually every game against the Feras in the last two seasons, sweeping them last season in Kanasín, and in this role they have already lost two series by 2-1.

Yucatán has a 36-41 record after its five-game losing streak, five games below the magic mark of .500 in wins and losses. The downside is that they've fallen to sixth place in the South Zone, tied for seventh place, the Bravos de León . If the season ended today, the Lions would win due to the better scoring. Therefore, this and the four remaining series will be vital for Yucatán.

The Devils are the Devils. The reigning champions arrive with a 53-22 record. They aren't burning up the LMB like last year, but they dominate almost everywhere. They arrive with their stars, led by Robinson Canó and Carlos Sepúlveda.

For the Lions today, Darío Agrazal is scheduled to pitch. He was out for several days due to illness. He missed his previous outing, but is expected to take the mound today.

Whenever the Diablos Rojos arrive, Yucatecan fans rub their hands together. The history written in the rivalry that developed with the Leones, for many starting in 1984, is as grand as it is intense.

And the "melenudos" will have to bring out their best against their bitter rivals because they're on the back foot. A poor series against the "pingos" could be the end of Yucatán.

The Melenudos have just been swept by the Querétaro Conspirators and will enter tonight's battle with a five-game losing streak, sitting in sixth place in the South Zone, which, as is almost a given, is led by the Diablos. The Yucatecans are in complete disarray, tied in wins and losses with the León Bravos, seventh in the standings. That makes everything more complicated.

They'll have to erase the bad image from last week, when Ken Giles's (100 MLB saves) poor relief pitching turned three potential wins into three losses. The last one, spoiling seven great innings from Yoanner Negrín (six and a third perfect innings, with 19 straight strikeouts and seven saves), turned three potential wins into three losses.

The Diablos Rojos, with 53 wins and 22 losses, already know that their matches against the Leones have become a classic. Before playing in Kanasín, the Lions had begun to dominate, and unforgettable battles like those in 1984 and 2006, when they swept them en route to winning historic championships, are unforgettable. The same thing happened in 2021, when "Pepón" kicked the ball past Roberto Osuna in the South Zone final. From Carlos Paz, to Lino Rivera, to "Chapo" Vizcarra. Everyone expects Oswaldo Morejón and his 2025 Leones to show their mettle.

On the previous visit to Kukulcán, manager Lorenzo Bundy admitted: “The Lions are growing against the Devils.”

This is precisely what the Lions need now: to rise to the occasion against the red swarm, because if they don't, they'll make things difficult for themselves.

The Diablos feature a deep lineup, with players like Allen Córdoba, the LMB's stealing leader (45 steals); Carlos Sepúlveda, the only one batting over .400 this year (he's hitting .403); and players like "Happer" Gamboa, Arístides Aquino, Japhet Amador, among others. The Leones, for their part, hope to have Yangervis Solarte (78 RBIs) to team with Yadir Drake (.377, with 19 home runs), Henry Ramos, and Art Charles.

The battle looks interesting. Three days of passion.