Alí Sánchez Homers Twice in Season Debut as Cardenales Rout Tiburones

Alí Sánchez homered twice and drove in five runs in his first LVBP game of the season as Cardenales de Lara overwhelmed Tiburones de La Guaira 14-4 on Saturday, October 31, at Estadio Antonio Herrera Gutiérrez in Barquisimeto. The catcher needed only two swings to turn his season debut into the defining performance of a 14-run night for Lara.

Sánchez finished 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. His two-run homer in the sixth inning restored Cardenales’ breathing room after Tiburones had cut into the lead, and his three-run shot one inning later pushed the game out of reach.

Sánchez turns debut into five-RBI statement

Cardenales took control in the third inning when Carlos Pérez hit a grand slam for his second home run of the season. Tiburones answered with three runs in the top of the sixth, but Sánchez immediately changed the momentum.

His first homer of the night brought home two runs in the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh, Sánchez went deep again with two runners aboard, completing a five-RBI debut and stretching Lara’s advantage to 10-3.

The Cardenales lineup added four more runs in the eighth. Spencer Packard drove in two with a double, Jesús Bastidas followed with another RBI double, and Yojhan Quevedo capped the inning with a run-scoring single.

Yonny Hernández also collected three hits, while Pérez went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Cardenales finished with 14 runs on 12 hits, including three home runs and six extra-base hits.

Castillo extends scoreless start

Right-hander Max Castillo gave Lara five scoreless innings, allowing the offense time to build its early lead. He struck out three and improved to 2-0 while extending his season-opening scoreless streak to 10 innings.

Tiburones did not score until the sixth, when a bases-loaded walk to Juniel Querecuto and a two-run single by José Córdova produced three runs against the Cardenales bullpen.

Sánchez arrived after a 2026 season spent between Major League Baseball and Triple-A. He appeared in 12 MLB games with Toronto and Boston and hit .279 with a .347 on-base percentage, six home runs and 28 RBIs in 54 games for Triple-A Buffalo.

The victory moved Cardenales to 10-4 and Tiburones to 7-10. The teams close the series Sunday in Barquisimeto, with Panamanian left-hander James González scheduled to start for Lara.