GAMEDAY RECAP

Mariners Slow Down Uni-bikers

Mariners 4, Uni-bikers 2

MANILA - The Makati Mariners' chameleonesque nature was evident once again after the seafarers snapped the Dumaguete Uni-bikers' three-game winning streak with a 4-2 win on Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

In a rematch of their previous encounter, Makati's Jon-Jon Robles dueled Dumaguete's Darwin Dela Calzada for another nine innings. Robles however came out the victor this time around by scattering eight hits while giving up just two runs for his league-leading fifth complete game this season and the Mariners banked on a balanced 12-hit attack to subdue the Uni-bikers.

It was the second victory for the Mariners in as many games and it comes on the heels of a three-game skid during which Makati simply looked lost on the field.

The Mariners' Alden Lozada also collected his league-leading 10th RBI of the season (despite whiffing three times) to highlight a three-run fifth inning rally that broke a scoreless tie.

Dela Calzada labored throughout the game. Not once did the southpaw retire the side. He weaved himself out of trouble in each of the first four innings before finally giving way in the fifth.

Erwin Manuel opened the Makati fifth with a leadoff walk. Jake Cumlat followed with a single. Francis Candella grounded out to move the runners into scoring position. Chun Wang Song's rbi groundout put Makati on the board. Lozada then roped a two-out run-scoring double, moved to third on thirdbaseman Jay Aranzanzo's miscue on a Robles pop-up, and came around to make it 3-0 on Chris Canlas' rbi single.

The Uni-bikers countered against Robles in the sixth. Norandro Geronimo led off with a single. One out later, Andro Cuyugan singled but was erased when Edmer Del Socorro reached on a fielder's choice. With runners at the corners, Christopher Dela Cerna's run-scoring single brought home Geronimo for the Uni-bikers' first run. Christian De Leon followed with another rbi-single to pull Dumaguete within 3-2.

But Robles flushed the rally by retiring pinch-hitter George Delmo on a groundout to first and coasted thereafter, retiring ten of the last 11 hitters he faced. The southpaw struck out eight and walked three.

"Maganda naman pinuhol ko kahit malamig [ang braso]. Sa bandang huli ko na lang nagamit ng husto yung downball (I pitched rather well considering my arm was somewhat cold. It was only during the later innings that I was able to rely on my downball)," said Robles after winning his second decision in as many starts.

The Mariners added an insurance run in the eighth when Wilfredo Hidalgo led off with a double and scored on Chris Jimenez' rbi-single.

Dela Calzada gave up 12 hits, four runs, three earned, walked four, and struck out nine in his third complete game of the season.

 

 

GAMEDAY

BP COVERAGE - WEEK 7

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