Artesanos defeat Mulos in Double-A season opener

The Artesanos of Las Piedras topped the defending champion Mulos of Juncos to open the Double A Superior Baseball League season.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Artesanos of Las Piedras defeated the Mulos of Juncos 9-2 on Sunday in the opening game of the 2026 Double-A Superior Baseball League season at Mariano “Niní” Meaux Stadium in Juncos.

The game marked the beginning of the 87th season of the league and was the only game scheduled for opening day. ​​It also was the first matchup between the Artesanos and Mulos since the 2025 Eastern Section final series.

Las Piedras ace Adalberto Flores combined with Miguel Mejía to limit the reigning champions to just six hits.

Flores pitched 6.2 innings to earn the win, striking out eight, while allowing four hits and two runs. Mejía completed the game with two strikeouts and no runs allowed.

Las Piedras took control of the game in the fourth inning with a three-run rally. A walk drawn by Erick Santiago with the bases loaded sent Francisco del Valle home for the first run. The Artesanos added two more runs when Juncos outfielder Luis Hernández mishandled a single by Víctor Torres.

Left-hander Luis Cintrón took the loss for the Mulos, after allowing four runs, two of them unearned, in 4.2 innings. The Juncos starter remains one win away from joining the career 60-win club.

In the fifth inning, a wild pitch brought in the Artesanos’ fourth run, and in the seventh, a home run by del Valle produced the fifth run.

Juncos scored its two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on a double by Misael González and a single by Carlos Beltrán. Las Piedras answered with four runs in the top of the eighth to seal the victory.