Sharks earn finals berth in 14 innings
by Jonas Terrado
Sharks 11, Tigers 10
The Manila Sharks endured perhaps the most exhausting playoff game in the two-year history of Baseball Philippines.
Following a hard-fought five-hour war, the Sharks survived past the underdog Alabang Tigers, 11-10, in 14 innings to earn the first finals berth of Series 5.
In a contest that turned from a high-scoring encounter into a prolonged match that had people waiting for someone to win, Manila finally came through as a throwing error by third baseman King Manay allowed veteran Edito Justo scored all the way from second for the winning run.
That miscue by Manay came on a bunt attempt by Christian Galedo, whose only intention is to advance Justo to third with no outs in the bottom of the 14th. But it turned out to be the last play of a game that ended way past lunchtime.
Manila now awaits the winner of the other semis pairing between the Batangas Bulls and the Cebu Dolphins after the latter pulled off a surprising 6-1 win that forced a rubber match for the last finals seat.
It was also the Bulls first loss of the tournament after a 10-game sweep of the classification round.
Team manager Jhoel Palanog, who has forced himself to play after the suspension of national team members Charlie Labrador, Nino Tator, Rommel Roja and Francis Candela, was glad that his squad came out the winner despite some key mistakes.
"We made a lot of blunders in this game, especially on our baserunning, but good thing we were able to keep our composure and reach the finals," said Palanog, who himself was tagged out at first base after a rundown in an earlier inning.
Pitcher Mick Natividad, battling flu for the last few days, delivered for Manila in extra frames as he kept the Tigers' offense at bay despite giving up a two-run single by Jay Laurel in the eighth inning that tied the game at 10-10 and eventually forced an extension.
"He really pitched well for us. We had no choice but to burn him and he delivered," Palanog said of Natividad, who is also his player for National University in the UAAP.
The Sharks actually fell behind by five runs in the fourth inning after Matt Laurel, expected to win the tournament's Most Home Runs award, crushed his seven homer on a three-run blast off starter Joseph Albindo that made it an 8-3 game.
Slowly, a series of stolen bases and key hits along with fielding errors by Alabang enabled them to cut the deficit to just 8-6 before a four-run binge in the seventh, capped off by a two-run single by Justo, put them ahead for the first time at 10-8.
Justo, facing his former team for the first time since being acquired by Manila late in the classification round, started off the game-clinching frame by reaching first on a fielding error by shortstop Andres Borromeo.
A wild pitch thrown by reliever Jay Laurel that put Justo to second base that set up the sacrifice bunt attempt. After Galedo made a perfectly-placed bunt to third, Manay threw it way past the glove of first baseman Matt Laurel to end the game.
That error was one of seven made by the Tigers in the game. But with their season over, the Alabang batters will to ponder on those key mistakes that cost them perhaps a spot in the finals.