Baseball Philippines: Robles debuts in Sharks game vs Dolphins

University of Santo Tomas ace pitcher Jon Jon Robles makes his debut for Manila on Saturday when the Sharks battle the Cebu Dolphins in the Baseball Philippines Series VI at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium. Robles’ entry adds muscle to Manila’s already formidable rotation that includes veterans Charlie Labrador and Mick Natividad, and rookie phenom MJ Gante. “Robles is a big help for us because we now have a deeper pitching rotation," said Sharks manager Jhoel Palanog. “But we still have to work hard because one man alone can’t win a championship since baseball is a team sport. All the players must contribute if we want to win this title." Robles gained prominence when he helped the then Makati Mariners win the inaugural series crown with a 4-2 win over the Negros Roosters in 2007. He then brought his skills to the Czech Republic last year where his experience toughened him up. The 17-year-old Gante starred in Manila’s 5-4 victory over defending champion Batangas blanking the Bulls in five straight innings. Like the Sharks, the Dolphins are coming off a big win against Taguig coming back from a two-run deficit to score a 7-2 win over the Patriots. While the Dolphins, winner of two titles in the league, had a relatively short pitching rotation they would compliment that with solid hitting. Miggy Corcuera, Jonard Pareja, Manuel Bacarisas, Ram Alipio and even pitcher Joseph Orillana can bring in the runs that could help Cebu’s campaign this season. – JVP, GMANews.TV