Sharks, Dolphins seek to forge title showdown

MANILA, Philippines - Manila and Cebu try to arrange a showdown for Baseball Philippines Series 8 championship as they face separate rivals today in the semifinal round at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

The Sharks and the Dolphins, who finished 1-2 in the elims for twice-to-beat edges, need only to win over the Taguig Patriots and the Batangas Bulls, respectively, to advance to the finals of the league organized by Community Sports Inc. and sponsored by Gatorade and Rawlings.

A pair of reversals, however, will set the stage for sudden deaths tomorrow. Manila, the back-to-back champion, is fancied over Taguig in the 9 a.m. match, while the Cebu-Batangas match at 1 p.m. remains a toss-up.

The Sharks topped the elims with a 9-1 (win-loss) record while the Dolphins posted an 8-2 slate to clinch the semis incentives.

Manila swept Taguig in their two faceoffs in the elims with the Patriots making their first postseason stint since the BP Series 4 in 2008.

Cebu and Batangas, on the other hand, have previously met in the playoffs with the Bulls defeating the Dolphins in the BP Series 7 semis en route to a runner-up finish.

The Dolphins and the Bulls likewise split their two-game series in the elims, making their showdown a match to watch in the league also backed by Harbour Centre, The Heritage Park, Emperador Distillers, Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Victory Liner and Clark Development Corp.

The best-of-three championship series is set July 16.

 The league is also supported by Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association, Philippine Umpires Association and DZSR Sports Radio 918.

For details, log on to www.baseballphilippines.com and www.facebook.com/baseballphilippines.