According to reports from Andrew Baggarly and Alex Pavlovic of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, San Francisco Giants’ ace Madison Bumgarner will not be allowed to enter the 2016 Home Run Derby after all.
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This little bit of information was confirmed by Giants manager Bruce Bochy on Wednesday evening.
Although Bumgarner has just a. 175 average, he owns 11 home runs in 183 at-bats over the past three seasons. He has a chance to go deep at any point in the game, and Bochy does not want to lose his potentially impact bat in the Giants’ lineup.
“There’s no Home Run Derby with Madison”, Bochy said.
On the mound, Bumgarner gave up four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, over 6 1/3 innings. Bumgarner hits right-handed and with lefty Dillon Overton starting for the Giants, Bochy’s other options were lefty-swinging Gregor Blanco or Jarrett Parker, or backup catcher Trevor Brown (with Buster Posey getting a day off and serving as the DH).
Brandon Belt had four RBIs and hit a go-ahead two-run double in the third ahead of Posey’s ninth home run. That set in motion a rally in which the Giants scored six times and sent 10 men to the plate total, with Bumgarner eventually making the third out on a pop-up in his second plate appearance of the inning. This time, he surrendered eight runs and eight hits with a strikeout and three walks. Brett went just 1-for-12 that year, but hit.262/.291/.406 in his career, better than most middle infielders of that era.
Bochy said the idea was his, and it made sense for several reasons: the A’s were starting a left-handed pitcher, the Giants are extremely limited from the right side, and Bumgarner is a power threat.
Former A’s first-round draft pick Grant Green – promoted from Triple-A by the Giants just before Thursday’s game – then got caught out on his front foot on a Triggs curve, striking out to end the frame. The Giants’ ace touched off such a potent rally that he won despite matching his season high with four earned runs allowed.
The Giants added two runs in the top of the fourth. The manager would have to navigate a lineup with a pitcher’s spot while the A’s operated with a designated hitter.
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With the win, San Francisco increased its lead to 6.0 games, and at 50-31, became the third team to 50 wins in the Majors this season, following the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.
