Charros de Jalisco fans could have been forgiven for thinking it was December 25 rather than October 12 as their Mexican Pacific League (LMP) season got underway against the Tomateros de Culiacan in Zapopan Wednesday evening.

In an incredible 30-minute opening inning, probably unlike any other fans had seen before, the Charros notched up nine runs, getting 13 batters to the plate.  

Astonishingly, in their previous two home openers, in 2014 and 2015, the Charros could only muster one run in 18 innings.

Over the next eight innings, the Charros doubled their tally, running out easy winners by 18-9.

The star of the show was Jose Manuel “Manny” Rodriguez, a stalwart of the Charros’ two previous campaigns in the LMP, chalking up 5 hits in 5 turns at bat.  Mario Valenzuela chipped in with 4 RBIs, and U.S. first baseman Art Charles contributed three.

Charros’ pitching, however, was nothing to write home about, something that could be a concern further along in the season. Even though he was the winning pitcher, U.S. starter Kyle Simon gave up 8 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings. U.S. closer Aaron Kurcz threw the ninth, giving up four runs to give the score a modicum of respectability. 

The raucous crowd played its part, cheering every hit as if it were a home run.  The official attendance of 12,229 was the highest ever for a Charros regular season game. Among the crowd was Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval, an unabashed baseball enthusiast.

Throwing out the first pitch was local hero and Formula One racing driver Sergio Perez, who will no doubt be roared on by a partisan crowd when he takes to the track of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City for the Mexican Grand Prix on October 30.