Uni-bikers in midst of surprising postseason trail
Veteran leadership and experience paying dividends
The Dumaguete Uni-bikers have turned heads as the cinderella story of the Series 3 postseason. (Photo - Joseph Ventura)
Almost everyone was writing off the Dumaguete Uni-Bikers when the playoffs began because of their long shot chance of going all the way.
But then the Uni-Bikers are pulling off their share of surprises. They have reached the Baseball Philippines Championship Series by stunning the heavily-favored Manila Sharks, who lost just once in the regular season.
Manager Lito Pulgo, who at times can be seen playing on the diamond, has suddenly turned around his club to go from being one of the inconsistent teams in the regular season to playing the role of spoiler in the postseason after likewise having ousted the higher-seeded Forward Taguig Patriots in the first round.
"Malaking tulong sa amin yung parating nakakalaro dahil nagkaroon kami ng momentum," Pulgo said after trouncing the Sharks, 14-10, in the first game of their semifinal series. "Nandoon yung eagerness ng mga players na gusto nilang makalaro sa finals."
Dumaguete has turned the postseason into a hit-parade with the help of its veteran players while its pitching has been quite steady behind national team southpaw pitcher Darwin Dela Calzada.
Among Pulgo’s brightest players in Series 3 is his assistant Kelly Culubong, who has made a drastic turnaround this season, thanks to the four home runs and 13 RBI's he posted in Series 3 to go with his .409 batting average.
Meanwhile, Bambol Servo, a significant addition from the Manila Sharks in the off-season, led the team in hitting with a .450 batting average to go with his two homers and 10 RBI's. In the playoffs, he hit a two-run blast to jumpstart their 6-2 elimination of the Patriots in the first round.
But this does not discredit Dumaguete’s other veteran ballplayers. First baseman Francisco Ramos posted a .371 average with two home runs and nine RBI’s and is currently 8-for-17 with eight RBI’s during the postseason, making him the hottest player in Baseball Philippines right now. Marlon Caspillo, meanwhile, recorded a .333 BA with one homer and four RBI’s in nine games but hit two dingers in two days against Taguig and Manila.
In game one of their recently concluded series against the Sharks, one of Caspillo’s homers broke a 7-7 tie that helped the Uni-Bikers stay alive and push the Sharks to the limit.
Add to the mix Team RP rightfielder Andro Cuyugan, who hit .348 with one home run, 12 RBI’s, and stole five bases, and the Uni-Bikers have suddenly become a fierce squad.
Although the team’s offense has generated some of the buzz thus far, particularly in the long ball department where the club has now launched a league-leading 14 balls past the fences, the pitching has also made strides with Dela Calzada and reliever Ramil Placides.
Dela Calzada, who had a dismal 3-4 record with a 4.89 ERA and 34 strikeouts in the regular season, has risen to the occasion in the playoffs against Forward Taguig and kept the Manila offense at bay when the Uni-Bikers pulled away in their slugfest win in game one.
On the other hand, Placides, acquired from what had been the Marikina Shoemakers in Series 2, provided solid relief pitching while also taking advantage of the new six-inning rule that enabled Dela Calzada to pitch in a succeeding game.
In a rocky performance in Series 3, the Uni-Bikers had their moments, such as a few blowout losses and sluggish performances, Culubong’s game-winning four-bagger against Makati, a few comebacks to show, and of course their playoff push.
"Medyo nasanay na rin kami sa mga come-from-behind wins," Pulgo said during one of their games against the Cebu Dolphins, when they came back from an 8-0 deficit to tie the game although they end up on the short end of a 10-9 loss in 10 innings. "Talagang pinipilit namin lumaban talaga kahit dehado."
Whether they end up winning the BPCS or not, Dumaguete has earned a lot of positive eyes from the observers who previously doubted them.