Sharks subdue Cebuanos for baseball crown
MANILA, Philippines–Jonjon Robles spun a two-hitter and Niño Tator singled home the winning run as Manila nipped Cebu, 2-1, Saturday to capture the Baseball Philippines Series 6 championship at the Felino Marcelino ballpark in Taguig City.
Robles, a former University of Santo Tomas ace pitcher, went all the way, striking out 11 and retiring all Cebu batters in order starting in the third inning to secure Manila’s first title in four championship stints.
Tator, who went four for four, broke a 1-1 tie Manila forged in the third inning by singling home Christian Galedo from second base in the fifth after two outs.
Galedo had earlier singled then took second on a steal before dashing home for the second time. He also scored Manila’s tying run on another single by Marvin Malig.
“It was a very sweet victory,” said Manila team manager Joehl Palanog, formerly of the National University. “We owe this to the hard work of the team. Cebu played tough but in the end we showed we’re more hungry for the title.”
Cebu, winner of Series 2 and Series 4, sent the best-of-three series into a rubber match after taking Game 2, 10-9, last week but Robles proved too much for the Dolphins this time.
Robles, who left a lucrative stint in the Czech Republic to join Manila, went on to bag the Most Valuable Player of the championship series.
Cebu actually broke the ice first when centerfielder Ramsey Alipio hit a sacrifice fly to score Edmer Del Socorro, the losing pitcher, on top of the second inning.
But Manila, which took the first game of the playoffs, 5-3, quickly tied it an inning later when Malig sent Galedo home with a single.
Unable to get anything going since the second inning, Cebu team manager Isaac Bacarisas joined the fray as pinch hitter for Reynaldo Calma in the ninth.
But Robles put him away with a grounder to third. Robles retired Calma on a similar play before getting Joseph Orillana to line out to second baseman Edward Landicho for the final out.
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