While Rays outfielder Junior Caminero stole the show with a monster game-winning home run and a passionate trip around the bases in Game 7 of the Dominican Winter League championship series, his teammate Jean Segura helped set the table for the Leones del Escogido on Monday night.
Segura, the former Phillies infielder, went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored as he knocked in the first run of the game in the fourth inning and drove in another in the sixth before scoring a crucial run to even the score in a back-and-forth battle against the Tigres del Licey. After both teams tacked on another run, Caminero exploded on a ball in the top of the ninth inning to break the tie and lift Escogido to a 6-5 win and a Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) title.
Segura was one of several Phillies figures involved in the epic Game 7. Current center fielder Johan Rojas, the LIDOM Rookie of the Year, started for the Tigres and went hitless, while former Phillies pitcher Adonis Medina allowed a two-run double when Licey inserted him in a key spot in the sixth. Ultimately, Segura and the Leones came out on top.
In addition to Segura, Escogido’s roster included other players who spent time in Philadelphia that did not appear in Game 7. Maikel Franco, Jimmy Paredes and Jeurys Familia were all on the championship roster; former Phillies Gold Glover Plácido Polanco was an assistant to manager Albert Pujols, the future Hall of Famer.
As the LIDOM winner, Escogido will now participate in the 2025 Caribbean Series, which starts on Friday in Mexico. The Leones will enter the tournament against league champions from Mexico, Venezuela and Puerto Rico, along with a team representing Japan.