Batangas bullish on getting the crown
Bulls ride five-game winning streak into postseason
High fives aplenty. Opponents would probably need a lot of red cape to tame these Bulls in the postseason. (Photo - Joseph Ventura)
The last few games have been a furious showing for the Batangas Bulls that suddenly put them in position as one of the top teams in Baseball Philippines Series 3.
A five-game winning streak got the Bulls burning, with two of the wins being decided by a combined score of 33-0 against the Dumaguete Uni-Bikers and Antipolo Pilgrims while scoring in double digits each time. But those were none bigger than their tough 11-9 upset of the Manila Sharks last June 8, which handed the top-seeded squad its first defeat after seven consecutive victories.
The late surge has given the Bulls an advance ticket into the second round of the postseason.
It has turned around what an up-and-down stint for the Bulls. The black-and-red clad batters started Series 3 with a 3-1 win-loss card before suddenly tumbling into a three-game slide with a late collapse against the Sharks in their first meeting, followed by two rough defeats to the Forward Taguig Patriots.
Yet, the Bulls bounced back a week later, winning their second meeting against Manila, thanks to timely hits and solid relief pitching late to sink the Sharks. From there, Batangas turned Father's Day weekend into a hit parade, crushing the Uni-Bikers, 14-0, before completing the massacre of the Pilgrims the following day in abbreviated contests.
"Our win against Manila really gave us as boost during these last two games," Dizer added. "We had minimized our errors and our offense is doing well. Kapag ginagawa namin yan, maganda ang resulta."
Former Manila Shark and current Team RP third baseman Virgilio Roxas has regained his stroke after struggling with a .186 batting average in 2007. He has boosted the team's offense while batting at a .523 clip (third in the league) along with four home runs and 11 runs batted in to cement his place as one of the top hitters in the league.
His eight long balls since the league's inception last summer is the most by any player. But aside from his consistent power threat, Roxas has helped his new team by his run production.
Aside from Roxas, Batangas' offense is also bannered by another Team RP mainstay in Junnifer Pinero (.480 BA, 9 RBI), Series 2 best hitter Joseph Apura (.345 BA), and another former Dumaguete Uni-biker Teddy Landicho (.368 BA, 5 RBI).
Add Jesse Natanuan (.286 BA) and centerfielder Carlo Banzon (.294 BA, 3 RBI) to the fold, and the Bulls have a strong offensive unit. But it does not end there, as they recently added current Pasadena State College standout Justin Zialcita, who is 6-for-12 while accounting for eight runs in three games, to their roster.
"Now that Justin (Zialcita) has joined the team, we have become much stronger, especially in our batting order," Dizer said. "Buo kami sa first six batters. Even our seven to nine hitters can contribute."
While the offense has been the focal point, Batangas' pitching has been a crucial component in order to win. Southpaw Vladimir Eguia and his 3-3 win-loss record has been the soul of the pitching staff since the club was known as the Marikina Shoemakers in 2007.
Although the new ruling of pitchers taking a mandatory rest for the next game after appearing for more than six innings has taken effect, and thereby lessened Eguia's appearances, two hurlers have seen the opportunity to step up, with Ruel Batuto (2-0) and Randy de Leon (2-1) providing solid help whether as starters or relievers.
The Bulls' strong finish comes on the heels of a season series sweep of the defending champion Cebu Dolphins where Eguia beat Dolphins Joseph Orillana each time. Opponents would probably need a lot of red cape to tame these Bulls in the postseason.