Three games apiece, Yankees still in first

With each team having just three games left in the regular season, the Northern Yankees find themselves atop the Saipan Major League standings with a record of 6-2.

After dropping their opener to the Pirates 10-11, the defending champs went on a tear with four straight wins, before dropping a huge game to the Brewers 5-9 in April. Since then, the Yanks have won their last two and are right where they want to be—alone in first place.

They have the four pitchers with the lowest earned run average in the league. Jonathan Jones (2.57), Everette Ngiraidong (3.60), Elmer Sablan (3.68), and George Castro (4.22) are part of the best rotation on Saipan, and a big reason for the team’s success.

The Yankees’ sluggers have been putting in their fair share for the team, owning top billing in runs scored (Robert Bansil-15), Doubles (Bansil-6), Triples (Mel Sakisat-3), Homeruns (2-Bansil), and runs batted in (Bansil-10).

Bansil has the second highest batting average in the league at .455 going 16-for-36, while teammates Clifton Silil (.436), Greg Camacho (.429), Johnty Jones (.391), John M. Reyes (.370) round out half of the top ten list.

The Yanks have lost only twice, but one of those times was to the second place Brewers. Just a game out of first at 5-3, the Brew crew could pull even with the pin stripers with a win Wednesday over the D-9ers.

With the league’s highest batting average, Tony Celis (.500) is leading the Brewers by example, hitting 17-for-34. Also making the list of top hitters are Manny Sablan (.424), Francis George (.407), and Jess Mesa (.407).

Defensively, they feature top 10 pitcher Roy Celis making the most batters whiff in the SML. He refuses to let a loss stain his record in his 31.1 innings of work, but he is not alone.

He is joined by teammates Bobby Castro and Joe Guerrero among the list of the leagues top 10 pitchers.

The Pirates have been up and down this year with a record of 4-3, but they were also able to beat the Yankees. If you spend a little time with this team, they will tell you that they can win it all this year.

Jerome Delos Santos is one of the players letting his bat do the talking, tied for second with a .455 batting average. The lone standout for the offense of the black and gold has plenty of help from his defensive counterparts.

Kevin Kapileo has hand delivered the second highest number of K’s in the league with 18, and has gone 2-1 in 20.2 innings. He is backed up with fellow top 10er’s Craig Sanchez and Norman Tenorio.

They get back into the action Friday when they go head to head with the defending champs, and they’ll need to be on the top of their game. Remember guys, gray pants.

Enter the D-9ers. At 0-6, Niner-time has seen better days. They have struggled all year, at times unable to field enough players to start a game until just moments before the first pitch. People should give them credit though for getting out there and playing hard. Winning isn’t easy, but losing hurts.

The Saipan Major League continues Wednesday night, May 12, as the Brewers face the D-9ers at Francisco M. Palacios field. First pitch is scheduled to cross the plate at 6:30pm.