GAMEDAY RECAP

Taguig Ends Drought with Forward Stride

Forward 9, Mariners 6

MANILA - In took more than a month, but the Forward Taguig finally found a way to win with its anemic offense as it broke through in the middle innings for a 9-6 win over the Makati Mariners on Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

Taguig, which entered the game with the fewest runs scored and hits in the league, trailed 2-0 before it pushed across four runs in the fifth and two each in the sixth and seventh innings on its way to ending a four game slide. It was the first time the Forward put crooked numbers on the scoreboard since the fifth inning of its win against Dumaguete on October 14.

Taguig's bats never really awoke from its slumber, but the Forward did manage to exploit Makati's shorthanded pitching staff and league-worst defense (3.6 errors a game). Despite being limited to just six singles by a trio of Makati hurlers, the Forward drew six walks and were aided by six Mariners errors on its way to almost matching its season's total run production.

Forward right-hander Michael Solis overcame a shaky first two innings to keep the Makati Mariners at bay until his team broke through in the fifth inning against Mariners right-hander Sherwin Canlas.

Taguig trailed 2-0 when Alquin Placido singled to open the fifth. Solis followed with a walk and Neil Bernardino singled to load the bases. Hashim Omandac then drew a walk to put the Forward on the board. Rizel Santos' sacrifice fly knotted the game at 2-2. Bernardino and Omandac scored on two-out errors by Mariners shortstop Francis Candella and catcher Jake Cumlat to put Taguig ahead.

The Forward added two more runs in the sixth against Mariners reliever Miki Saito. Alvin Bernardino reached on a one-out error by Makati first baseman Jerby Diego. Placido walked. Jeffrey Hardillo's run-scoring single one out later gave Taguig a 5-2 lead. Placido then stole home to make it 6-2.

In the seventh, Omandac led off with a single, stole second, and scored on Daep's one-out single. Daep moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on Erwin Cruz's single. Alvin Bernardino's rbi-groundout made it 8-2.

Solis scored Taguig's ninth run in the eighth after he led off with a walk, advanced to second on Cumlat's BP record fourth passed ball of the game, reached third on a groundout, and scored on Neil Bernardino's rbi-groundout.

Makati started off strong, getting rbi-singles from Alden Lozada in the first and Cumlat in the second for an early 2-0 lead.

The Mariners did not score again until the seventh inning when pinch-hitter Editho Justo led off with a double and Erwin Manuel followed with a walk to end Solis' stint on the mound. Omandac relieved Solis and walked Cumlat to load the bases. Ace Baquiran's sacrifice fly and Candella's rbi-single cut the deficit to 8-4.

Makati threatened to get back in the game in the bottom of the ninth when Cumlat and Baquiran set the table with back-to-back singles. One-out later, Lozada collected his league-leading 14th rbi of the season when he reached on a grounder which Forward shortstop Hardillo misplayed. Israel Ona's sacrifice fly made it 9-6 before Saito went down swinging to end the game.

Solis earned the win with six-plus effective innings. He scattered five hits, gave up four runs, three earned, and struck out six despite allowing five walks.

Sherwin Canlas was the hard-luck loser after going five innings, giving up just two hits, four runs, three earned, and three walks with a strikeout.

 

 

GAMEDAY

BP COVERAGE - WEEK 8

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