Bumgarner to do it again!
Giants vs. Mets Wild Card, win-or-go home
The Giants are asking their ace pitcher, Madison Bumgarner to do it again! The San Francisco Giants next playoff step is Wednesday afternoon in New York City to confront a win-or-go-home wild card playoff game against the New York Mets.
Bumgarner found himself in the same situation back in 2014, and he shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates to launch the Giants on their third World Series title run (2010, 2012, 2014). The even-year championship streak is alive and well in #MADBUM ‘s hands.
San Francisco Giants’ Madison Bumgarner
Bruce Bochy the Giants’ manager said he is confident sending either of his two front-line starting pitchers –Madison Bumgarner or Johnny Cueto – to the mound “That’s how much I think of both of them,” against Noah Syndergaard and the New York Mets at Citi Field.
In reality there is only one choice. Just as they did two years ago in Pittsburgh, the Giants will hand the ball to Bumgarner, and rely on him to save their season. “All we wanted was a chance,” Bochy said. “We had to fight to get it, and we did. It’s our guy against their guy.”
San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy pours champagne on San Francisco Giants pitcher
“You plan on playing into October and November, so you’ve got to make sure you put the work in so you can do that.” Bumgarner said. “But for this time of year, or any time, I feel as good as I did in April. That’s why we put in all the work and get in the kind of shape we’ve got to be in to stay strong and finish”
The Giants’ ace pitcher staying power is the stuff of legend; his 52 ⁄ 3 innings in the 2014 postseason, spread over six starts, plus a five-inning relief appearance in Game 7 of the World Series, ranks as the heaviest postseason workload in baseball history. That ironman run mentality began with a shutout in the wild card game at Pittsburgh. And now, Giants’ Bumgarner has to do it again! The ace might be counted upon to go the distance.
Bumgarner to do it again!
Bumgarner and Syndergaard opposed each other earlier this season at Citi Field on May 1, with San Francisco winning 6-1. The Giants pitcher threw six shutout innings; Hunter Pence hit a two-run home run and the Giants chased the Mets’ imposing right-hander in the sixth.
When Syndergaard faced the Giants at AT& T Park on Aug. 21, he threw 44 of his 98 pitches at 98 mph or faster. He allowed two hits over eight shutout innings to out duel Jeff Samardzija in the Mets’ 2-0 victory.
The NY right-hander pitcher owns the hardest average fastball of any starter in the major leagues. His slider averaged better than 91 mph this season — that’s harder than the four seam fastball of over 86 big league pitchers, according to MLB StatCast.
The Giants can’t relied on Bumgarner alone, if there is such a thing as a strategy to another World Series win, it will need to be different than what the Giants used in the last three championship runs.
Giants’ outfielder Hunter Pence explain; “If we play like we did against the Dodgers,” said Pence amidst Sunday’s celebration, “we’re pretty good.”
In winning five of the season’s final six games, including the weekend sweep of the Dodgers, the secret to the Giants’ success is to never reach the final innings in perilous shape. In all five victories, they had at least a three-run lead going into the ninth.
San Francisco Giants celebrate in the clubhouse after defeating the Dodgers at AT&T Park
That gives the relief pitcher assigned closing duties – Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla did it the past week – so much more leeway and comfort and margin for error. “It takes a little pressure off the pitching staff,” agreed Giants’ shortstop Brandon Crawford.
“We know that atmosphere,” Pence said. “That’s the beauty of it. I think this is a group with a tendency to handle the big moments.”
The Wild Card playoff game moments are set for Wednesday in New York. The Giants must win-or-go-home for there to be more baseball at AT&T Park in 2016. But the same was true in 2014 when they headed to Pittsburgh and the Giants won 8-0. Giants’ Bumgarner is ready to do it again!
Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco Giants, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
Follow EMI Sports Bay Area on Twitter at twitter. com/ @EMIsports.