GAMEDAY RECAP

Mariners Resurface To Claim Title

Mariners 4, Roosters 2

MANILA - The month of July brought about a remarkable turnaround to the Makati Mariners season. After getting off to a poor start in a summer that showcased an unsightly 18 errors and a series-high 29 runs allowed, the Mariners played to a different tune in stunning the favored Negros Roosters, 4-2, to claim the Baseball Philippines Series 1 Title at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium on Sunday.

Jon-Jon Robles’ first homerun of the series broke a 1-1 tie to open the sixth inning and the Mariners added two more insurance runs in the frame to knock the wind off the Roosters.

Robles, who went 4-for-4 at the dish, connected off Roosters ace Ernesto Binarao’s first pitch fastball offering in the top of the sixth with a drive that cleared the right-center field wall. Two outs later, Editho Justo, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, came around to score when 3B Virgilio Roxas misplayed Kelly Culubong’s grounder down the third base line. Jake Cumlat followed with a run-scoring double to give the Mariners a 4-1 lead.

Binarao knotted the game in the fifth with a one-out home run to send Mariners starter Christian Canlas off the mound. Robles came in relief, but the Roosters added another run in the sixth when Jerry Estanislao drew a one-out walk and later scored on Junifer Pinero’s two-out single.

Negros threatened once more in the eighth by placing runners at the corners with one out. In a strategic oddity, Mariners skipper Jeffrey Santiago was forced to summon Canlas back to the mound after inadvertently calling time for the fourth time in the game. The right-hander promptly retired the last five batters in succession to seal the victory for Makati.

"Naging blessing in disguise ang pagkakamali ko sa eighth inning nang tumawag ako ng ikaapat na timeout at napilitan akong ibalik si Canlas para palitan si Robles," (It turned out to be a blessing in disguise; my mistake in the eighth inning when I called that fourth timeout forced me to bring back Canlas in favor of Robles," said Santiago referring to the more favorable right-handed pitcher vs right-handed hitter match-up that awaited his hurler's return and subsequently flushed any momentum the Roosters hitters had mustered in the inning.

The Mariners opened the scoring when Cumlat led off the game with a single and came around two outs later on Robles’ run-scoring single.

Binarao allowed ten hits, walked two, and struck out seven in a complete game effort to absorb his only loss of the series.

Canlas meanwhile gave up only two hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out a pair in six effective innings, the only blemish being Binarao’s homer. It was the right-hander's second win and came on the heels of his solid outing the previous weekend that propelled the Mariners past top-seed Cebu in the playoffs. Robles surrendered one run on four hits and four walks over three innings of relief.

The Makati defense meanwhile played flawless defense for the second weekend in a row.

Earlier, United States ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney threw out the ceremonial first pitch during pre-game festivities.

 

 

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