To improve upon his last start, Madison Bumgarner set the bar pretty low. All he needed to do was get two batters out and the day would be considered a rousing success. After needing 25 pitches to allow eight runs on nine hits while getting just one out on Tuesday against the Twins, Bumgarner needed all of eleven pitches two get the first two batters he faced. After that, he started showing off.
As if Bumgarner’s sterling World Series performance last fall didn’t prove his mettle, his Sunday performance definitely showed the Giants what he was made of. Having the confidence to come back and pitch even half-decently after such historically horrendous start is a tall order for even the most seasonsed of veterans. But for a 21-year old? Heck, the Giants probably would’ve just been happy if he got through a few innings without curling up in the fetal position and sucking on his thumb. The last thing they probably expected was Bumgarner to turn in arguably his best start since last Octoer.
The way Bumgarner pitched, you’d have never have guessed he was even capable of the kind of pitching he showed against Minnesota, but the Indians probably wished they got to see some of it after getting carved by Madison to the tune of 11 strikeouts, Bumgarner’s career-high. They even tried to rattle him a bit in the early going, getting four of their six hits off Bumgarner in the first three innings, but he never so much as blinked.
Yup, looks like this Bumgarner kid is going to be just fine.
Also last night: Doc Halladay won with and threw another complete game (yawn)… The Dodgers beat the Angels on a questionable call at the plate… and finally, Ricky Romero throws a four-hitter.
What to watch tonight: A Royals-Padres matchup probably isn’t atop many people’s viewing priority list, but it does hold a certain rubbernecking sort of appeal. This Padres have the second-worst home record in all of baseball while the Royals are the absolute worst road team in the free world. As they say, somebody has to win, right? Full schedule with probable pitchers here.
