As Roberts no doubt knew, the words came from San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, who appeared to shout them at Puig during Monday night’s game at Dodger Stadium. Finally, the comeback was completed by none other than Adrian Gonzalez who doubled off the Hunter Pence’s glove.
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The feud between Bumgarner and Puig has been raging since 2014, when two incidents set the stage for Monday Night’s culminating event.
“It’s going to be a dogfight the rest of the way”, Bochy said after his team snapped a three-game losing streak.
Kershaw in only his third start since his back injury allowed an unearned run on three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in six innings. Kershaw dived and tried to backhand the ball, but it got by him and Chase Utley’s throw pulled Gonzalez off first base as Nunez slid headfirst into the bag.
But Bumgarner came out of the game, and in the bottom of the ninth inning a committee of Giants relievers surrendered two runs. He struck out seven and walked one.
And I would assume, again with Bumgarner under 100 pitches and looking great, the incident nearly certainly had to be one of the reasons Bochy took Bumgarner-or Bumgarner asked-out of the game. The 32-year-old All-Star has forced his way into the NL Cy Young Award conversation by going 8-1 with a 1.02 ERA over his past nine starts for playoff-bound Chicago. “If it were turned around, I’m sure we’d do the same”.
Both teams have 12 games remaining in the regular season, including five against each other. With 12 games to play, the Dodgers lead the N.L. West by six games. Ignore the eight innings of awfulness by the Dodger offense.
Toronto lefty J.A. Happ goes for his 20th win when he starts at Seattle in a game between teams competing for the two AL wild cards.
Culberson had a Dodgers clubhouse attendant deliver the shirt to the Giants’ side, and when Bumgarner was not there to receive it, amused Giants players hung it at Bumgarner’s locker. LHP Alex Wood (elbow surgery) will be activated Tuesday.
It seemed to be a personal grievance, a pitcher who has carried the Giants through so much so often just picking the absolute wrong time to lose his mind. Cueto (16-5, 2.86 ERA) pitched a five-hitter and retired his final 17 batters last Thursday in a clutch performance against St. Louis.
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But the Giants couldn’t hold onto a 1-0 lead in the ninth inning again – Brandon Belt made it 2-0 with a home run in the top of the ninth.
