PHILIPPINES – Coming off a disastrous performance in the previous tournament, the only thing that the Manila Sharks wanted was a fresh start.

And it appears that the Sharks took their first step in that lofty goal, beating the Forward Taguig Patriots in a wild 9-6 win that opened Baseball Philippines Series 5 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

In a see-saw affair, Manila finally got through in the eighth inning when they scored three runs that shattered a 6-6 tie with Francis Candella making a key hit that put the Sharks away for good.

Candella, a member of the RP national team, took advantage of a bases-loaded situation when he hit a single to right field off losing pitcher Fernando Badrina that scored Jarus Inobio and Christian Galedo.

Prior to the big hit, Manila gained a one-run lead after Badrina issued a walk to Galedo that brought home Roja from third.

The go-ahead runs enabled ace pitcher Charlie Labrador to complete his four-inning relief work by retiring the last three batters he faced in the ninth inning. Labrador replaced starter Joseph Albindo during the fifth inning.

Albindo tossed four innings and allowed two runs off four hits before he was sent to the dugout after throwing the maximum limit of 75 pitches, a new rule enforced by the league in order for a pitcher to toss the next match.

It was a good head start for the squad of team manager Jhoel Palanog after the Sharks lost eight of 10 games in the classification phase in Series 4 before getting ousted by the Dumaguete Uni-Bikers in the playoffs.

Forward Taguig’s Ernesto Binarao picked up where he left off from his superb outing in Series 4 by yielding two runs off three hits in five innings before leaving the pitcher’s mound after 74 pitches.

He was outstanding on offense as the 30-year old Zamboanga native had four RBIs (runs-batted-in) off three hits, including a two-run double in the seventh frame that put the Patriots up for the last time, 6-5.

But Nino Tator quickly answered for the Sharks. His double off Badrina in the bottom half of the seventh tied the count at 6-6 after droving home Galedo from third base.

Earlier, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping and Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco led the tossing of the ceremonial first pitch during the opening ceremonies.

BATANGAS BULLS STOMP ALABANG TIGERS
Not another name change was enough to jumpstart a new beginning for the Alabang Tigers.

The Batangas Bulls spoiled the Tigers’ parade with a seven-run fifth while Vladimir Eguia kept their bats silent in an 11-1 rout that ended after eight innings because of a 10-run mercy rule.

Eguia, the 20-year old lefty from the University of the Philippines, struck out eight batters and gave up only two hits in six innings as the Bulls, eager to win their second championship, kicked off Series 5 with the massacre of the Tigers.

Alabang, which made its third name change in the club’s two-year history after being dubbed as the Makati Mariners and the Muntinlupa Mariners, made a furious start as veteran shortstop Ruben Angeles smashed a solo home run in the team’s first at-bat to tie the game at 1-1.

But it was the lone bright spot for the Tigers as they were hounded all afternoon by Eguia’s pitching before almost called the white flag in the fifth frame when the Bulls’ went on an offensive attack.

Batangas peppered Alabang with six hits that saw catcher Junifer Pinero hitting his first-career three-run homer in the league when he smacked a pitch from pitcher Roy Baclay past the left-center wall that made it a 6-1 contest.

It was Pinero’s second hit of the game in three at-bats while Jesse Natanauan also had three RBIs in the match.

Alabang starter Roel Batuto failed to beat his former team as he hurled for five innings and whisked a single run off three hits.

The Tigers made only three hits in the game with Jay Laurel, who replaced Allan Balazuela after colliding into the left field concrete wall, making two of those aside from Angeles’ four-bagger.

It was Laurel’s first game with Alabang after he and brother Matt were shipped from Batangas in an offseason deal.

In exchange, the Bulls received ex-UAAP Most Valuable Player Romeo Jasmin, who threw the last two innings in replace of Eguia and retired all but one of the 23 batters he faced.

Jonas Terrado is the Chief Writer at Baseball Philippines.com

Tags: Philippines