Bottom of order gives Sharks bite in win over Dolphins

Rommy Bumagat of the Manila Sharks dives for third base on Jarus Inobio's single as third baseman Miggy Corcuera of the Cebu Dolphins attempts to make the tag in the fifth inning. (Photo - Joseph Ventura)

Sharks 10, Dolphins 3

MANILA - The Manila Sharks exacted some measure of revenge after polishing off the defending Series Champion Cebu Dolphins, 10-3 on Sunday in Week 3 of BP Series 3 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

The bottom four spots of the Sharks lineup banged out 12 hits, drove in seven runs, and scored seven times in the rout.

It was a sweet victory for last season's bridesmaids in the teams' first meeting since Cebu won the best-of-three BP Championship Series in December. Manila leads the all-time series between both teams, 5-3 in what is shaping up to be a great traditional rivalry.

The Sharks got another stellar performance from ace Charlie Labrador (2-0). The right-hander went six effective innings, scattered nine hits and gave up just a pair of runs. He walked one and struck out six. Romeo Jasmin finished up with three innings of three-hit ball, striking out three, while being tagged for an unearned run.

In 26 innings combined thus far in the young season, the Sharks' right-handed duo has given up just 23 hits, four runs, two earned, while racking up 19 strikeouts with only three walks allowed.

Sandy Cerillo had another poor outing on the hill after drawing the starting assignment for Cebu. After hurling just one inning in his first start on Opening Day, Cerillo was chased from the game in the third inning after yielding Marvin Malig's rbi-single and Jarus Inobio's rbi-double to put the Sharks up, 4-0.

Manila shelled the right-hander for four runs on seven hits and three walks. Rbi-doubles by Jose Castro and Francis Candella in the second staked the Sharks to an early 2-0 lead.

Cebu was without the services of ace left-hander Joseph Orillana, who has yet to pitch this season.

The Dolphins however would make things interesting.

They narrowed the gap to 4-2 with single runs in the fourth and sixth frames on a pair of rbi's by Jeffrey Ardio.

After rookie Roderick Gammaru brought the lead back to four with a two-run double in the seventh off Ardio, who had relieved Cerillo in the third, Cebu cashed in on a pair of errors by SS Christian Galledo in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it 6-3.

But the Sharks effectively put the game away with a four-spot in the ninth. The first five hitters reached base, two scoring on pinch-hitter Jake Ilao's double, followed by rbi-singles from Galledo and Roja.

Ardio went 5 1/3 innings, surrendered 13 hits, six runs, struck out two and walked two. It was a far cry from his Opening Day performance when he pitched eight scoreless innings of four-hit ball against the Forward Taguig Patriots.

Earlier, Tampa Bay Rays international scout John Gilmore threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Gilmore had been spending the week in Manila exploring player development opportunities for the Major League club's farm system.

"There are [a handful] of young prospects out here. I would certainly want to come back and see how some of these kids have developed," said Gilmore. "What they really need is just to play a whole lot more of games."

BOXSCORE

BaseballPhilippines.com is the official web site of Baseball Philippines. All Baseball Philippines logos and marks and Baseball Philippines team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary material depicted herein are the property of Baseball Philippines and the respective Baseball Philippines teams and may not be reproduced without the expressed and written consent of Baseball Philippines. Copyright © 2008 Baseball Philippines. All Rights Reserved.

• Contact Us
|
• Official Info