GAMEDAY RECAP

Uni-bikers Claim First Win at Expense of Mariners

Uni-bikers 6, Mariners 5

MANILA - If there was any fallout between weekends in Baseball Philippines, it may have manifested itself in Sunday's game between the Dumaguete Uni-bikers and Makati Mariners.

Makati was coming off an embarassing loss to Marikina in week 3 when it committed a BP record eight errors, while Dumaguete suffered a narrow defeat to Manila despite steadily improved play.

Mariners ace Jon-Jon Robles took his customary start on the mound after last weekend's relief appearance with fire in his eyes, but the left-hander was a shadow of his dark side as Dumaguete torched the left-hander for six runs in the first four innings then held off Makati, 6-5 to earn its first win of Series 2.

Edmer Del Socorro got things going for Dumaguete when he launched a two-out rocket to left field off Robles in the first inning and the Uni-bikers fed off its afterburners with three more runs in the second.

Kelly Culubong drew a lead-off walk. With two outs, Jay Aranzanzo tripled to right-center and Robles then uncorked a wild pitch to stretch Dumaguete's lead to 3-0. Darwin Dela Calzada followed with a single and came all the way around to score on third baseman Chris Jimenez's throwing error.

The Mariners cut the deficit to half in the third inning on two-out rbi-doubles by Alden Lozada and Robles.

But momentum swung back towards Dumaguete in its half of the third when Del Socorro singled for his second hit of the game, advanced to third on Francisco Ramos' single, and one out later touched home on Marlon Caspillo's single to make it 5-2.

The Uni-bikers added breathing room in the fourth when Dela Calzada reached on left fielder Chris Canlas' two-base error, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on catcher Wilfredo Hidalgo's passed ball.

"Yung tama ni Edmer [Del Socorro] ang sinakyan namin. At mukhang naka-adjust rin ang opensa (Edmer's blast set the tone for us. And the offense made some adjustments as well)," said Uni-bikers player-manager Lito Pulgo, happy that the team's practices now seem to be paying off.

Robles meanwhile could not contain himself, getting into a bat throwing tantrum at one point, and second-guessing manager Jeffrey Santiago during a trip to the mound by the skipper. After all, the young lefty has not been accustomed to pitching often with his team behind and what happened Sunday should serve him well as a learning experience.

Robles would settle down as he went the distance, retiring 10 of the last 11 batters. He wound up surrendering nine hits, three walks, and struck out 13.

The Mariners did mount a late rally as well.

Robles stroked a one-out double in the eighth, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Dela Calzada's fielding error.

Consecutive one-out run scoring singles in the ninth by Mark Castillo and Chun Wang Song put Dela Calzada and the Uni-bikers on the ropes. Lozada was then robbed of a possible game-winning extra base hit by center-fielder Teddy Landicho, and Dela Calzada then retired Hidalgo on a lazy fly ball to right to seal the win.

"Kinabahan ako sa huling inning. Salamat at nakalusot kami (I got somewhat nervous in the last inning. Thankfully we came through)," said Dela Calzada, who appeared to be running out of steam in the late innings.

 

 

GAMEDAY

BP COVERAGE - WEEK 4

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