Tag: Madison Bumgarner

MadBum gets Giants out of New York with a split following 3-1 win over Mets

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Photo credit: @MLB_News247

By Jeremy Harness

The San Francisco Giants desperately needed to get a win to get out of town and capture some momentum, and Madison Bumgarner made sure they got that against the New York Mets.

The Giants’ big lefty took the ball Thursday afternoon and threw eight solid innings at the Mets, and as a result, the Giants came away from New York with a 3-1 win at Citi Field, and the two teams ended up splitting the four-game series.

Bumgarner surrendered a single run on five hits, striking out eight and not walking a single batter. Not only did Bumgarner get it done on the mound, but he also helped his own cause at the plate, as his double in the fourth inning gave the Giants a 2-0 lead and gave the team the momentum that they sorely needed and would not relinquish.

However, the double almost did not happen, and maybe it should not have happened, either. That’s because the batter before Bumgarner, catcher Nick Hundley, took a ball that looked like it should have been a third strike that would have ended the inning.

Hundley ended up coaxing a walk out of Mets starter Jacob DeGrom, who saw his record drop to 8-8 after giving up a pair of runs on four hits, walking four and striking out 10.

The Mets put some major heat on Bumgarner in the seventh inning, after Todd Frazier led off the inning with a solo homer, and then used a hit batsman and a single to put runners on first and second with nobody out.

However, Bumgarner got out of the jam flawlessly, as he forced Kevin Plawecki into a double play before striking out Michael Conforto to keep the Giants up one run.

The Giants got that run right back in the eighth, when Evan Longoria tattooed an inside fastball and sent into the left-field seats to increase the lead to 3-1.

The Giants return home to AT&T Park to host the Rangers for a three-game series starting Friday night at 7:15 pm PDT.

Bumgarner, Giants shelled in embarrassing 7-1 loss to Reds

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Photo credit: @SanDiegoGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

When this key road trip began, thing were looking good for the San Francisco Giants; however, by the end of the week, it is a totally different story with the Cincinnati Reds.

Matt Harvey took a no-hitter into the top of the sixth inning, while Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera each hit home runs and the Reds defeated the Giants 7-1 at Great American Ballpark on Saturday.

One night after picking up three hits in the opener of the three-game series, Scooter Gennett did it again and scored three runs, sending the Giants to their third straight loss after winning three straight.

Madison Bumgarner did not pitch well at all, as he gave up a season-high six runs and eight hits in six innings.

Things were going good until the bottom of the fourth inning, and that is when the Reds scored the only runs that they would need off of Bumgarner.

Peraza led off the inning with a home run into the left field seats, and then Brandon Dixon completed the scoring in the inning, as he hit a two-run double.

It got even worse in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Friday’s hero Phillip Ervin hit a sacrifice fly that scored Peraza from third base and then Eugenio Suarez scored on a throwing error by Steven Duggar to extend the lead.

Herrera launched a 419-foot home run into the center field seats that gave the Reds a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Suarez rounded out the scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning, as his single to center field scored Gennett.

The Giants scored their only run of the evening in the top of the eighth inning, as Evan Longoria grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Andrew McCutchen from third base.

Harvey did not give up a hit until there were two outs in the top of the sixth inning, as Joe Panik beat out an infield roller that was snared by Peraza and Panik just beat out the throw from Peraza.

NOTES: Hunter Strickland made his return to the active after being out since June 10 when the team leader in saves with 13 was placed on the disabled list with a fractured right hand. To make room for Strickland on the 40-man roster, Pablo Sandoval was transferred to the 60-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring and is out for the rest of the season.

Strickland pitched one inning, allowing one run on two hits after replacing Bumgarner in the bottom of the seventh inning.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Reds will wrap up their series on Sunday at 10:10 am PDT.

Andrew Suarez looks to get the Giants back into the win column on Sunday, as he takes the mound at Great American Ballpark for the first time in his major-league career. Suarez faced the Reds on May 16 at AT&T Park, and lost to the Reds 6-3.

The Reds will send Luis Castillo to the mound, as they look for the sweep.

Giants rookie Dereck Rodriguez to miss Friday’s start against the Reds

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Photo credit: @McCoveyChron

By Jeremy Harness

The little brouhaha between Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and Giants catcher Nick Hundley claimed a casualty. And the Giants will feel that starting Friday night.

That’s because starter Dereck Rodriguez expected to take the mound in Friday’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ball Park, but he was hurt in Tuesday’s skirmish, as he strained his right hamstring. As a result, he will miss at least this start, and he was also placed on the 10-day disabled list.

In the meantime, righty Casey Kelly (0-1, 1.42 ERA) will start in Rodriguez’s spot, as he will go opposite Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (6-3, 4.46 ERA). DeSclafani has been on a roll lately, winning his past two starts and going seven innings each time.

He shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 3-0 win last Friday, as he gave up only three hits as he struck out nine guys and did not walk a single batter. Six days before that, he surrendered only a run on six hits in a 7-1 win over Washington.

The Giants will bring out Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 2.71 ERA) on Saturday against the Reds’ Matt Harvey (5-7).

Bumgarner has started to hit his stride these days, as he has given up a total of three runs over his last three starts. However, he has only one win out of those three to show for it, as he was stuck with a pair of no-decision in each of his past two starts.

Harvey (5-7, 5.19 ERA), on the other hand, has gone the other way, going 0-2 in his last four decisions, although he did go seven strong last Saturday and gave up only two runs in a win over Arizona. He, however, was stuck with a no-decision.

Dodgers Can’t Close, Giants Don’t Fold: Four-run ninth wins it for SF 5-2

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Photo credit: @PavlovicNBCS

By Morris Phillips

Clayton Kershaw was masterful–and the clear winner of the Bumgarner-Kershaw matchup–but he wasn’t around for the finish on Monday night. That allowed the Giants an opening, and they made the most of it, scoring four times in the ninth to escape with a 5-2 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

 

Prior to the ninth, the Giants were stymied by Kershaw, who was both different and the same, mowing down San Francisco hitters as usual but employing a confounding curveball, and changing speeds to keep the Giants at bay. Kershaw started 18 of the 27 hitters he faced with first-pitch strikes, struck out nine, walked none, allowed four singles and dominated the proceedings for eight innings.

“He was better than me tonight for sure, but we were better than they were,” Bumgarner said of Kershaw. “I think that is a good way to put it.”

But once again, after throwing 110 pitches, Kershaw wasn’t around for the finish. And the Dodgers’ bullpen, without closer Kenley Jansen, was on the spot after blowing leads in each of the previous, three ballgames at Colorado. And the Giants, on life support in the NL West, were desperate for any type of momentum-building moment.

And this time, fate swung the Giants way, and directly in the face of their 2-51 record in 2018 when trailing after eight innings.

Scott Alexander, needing just one more strike to end it, allowed a two-run single to pinch-hitter Nick Hundley. Gorkys Hernandez followed with an RBI single to increase the Giants’ lead to 4-2. Then after Hernandez stole second base, Max Muncy’s fielding error on Stephen Duggar’s grounder allowed Hundley to score from third.

“We had some really great at-bats there in the ninth,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Hundley, it doesn’t get any more clutch than that.”

The Giants (60-60) shed their losing record with the win, and moved to .500 for the 22nd time this season. They trail the Diamondbacks by five games in the NL West with the Rockies and Dodgers nipping at Arizona’s heels as well.

A’s walk it off in 11 innings beating the Giants 4-3 on Saturday night

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Jonathan Lucroy rounds the bases in triumph Photo @Athletics

By Charlie O. Mallonee

OAKLAND — Game five of the 2018 Bay Bridge Series – the second of three to be played in Oakland – was played before the largest crowd to witness a Major League Baseball this season. The A’s (56-43) decided to take the tarps off the seats in the upper deck known as “Mount Davis” for the first time since 2006. The result was 56,310 Bay Area baseball fans were treated to a “wild and woolly” affair.

The top the ninth arrived at the Oakland Coliseum, and as usual, it was Treinen time. The A’s held a slim 3-2 lead over the Giants, but the A’s have been the masters of winning one-run games (15-8) in 2018. Treinen retired the first two batters — Posey and Sandoval on groundouts. The third hitter of the inning – Alen Hanson – struck out, but the strike three pitch was wild, got by the catcher and Hanson wound up safe at first (this is now the first paragraph of a Stephen King novel).

Hunter Pence then hit a pitch into right field that rolled into foul territory and into the Giants bullpen for a double, and Alen Hanson scored on the play. As right fielder Stephen Piscotty charged the ball, a member of the Giants bullpen picked up a chair and made contact with the outfielder. The Athletics contended that it should have been a “dead ball” at that point which would have kept the run from scoring. There is no rule that umpires could invoke, so the A’s challenged the play on a boundary call. A video review of the play upheld the call on the field. When the top of the ninth inning was over, the game was tied at 3-3.

The A’s were unable to score in the bottom of the ninth, so it was on to extra innings.

There was no scoring in the 10th inning and the Giants (51-49) failed to produce any runs in the top of the 11th frame.

The A’s are late inning battlers

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Chapman at the plate Photo Charlie O. Mallonee

Teams are learning that they cannot let the A’s hang around late in games and continue to have chances to score – because they will. That is exactly what happened on Saturday night.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, the Giants put LHP Will Smith on the mound. Piscotty grounded out to lead off the inning for Oakland. Dustin Fowler was then robbed of a hit when he lifted a “flare” to shallow right-center and shortstop Brandon Crawford made an outstanding sliding catch beyond the bag at second.

With two out, Matt Chapman picked up his third hit of the game with a single up the middle. Chad Pinder followed up with a single to left-center that moved Chapman up to second. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy – who did not enter the game until the 10th inning – singled to right-center field and Chapman never had any thoughts of doing anything but crossing home plate to score the winning run which he did.

The A’s won the game 4-3 to even the series in Oakland at 1-1 and to take a 3-2 lead in the six-game series after five games.

The walk off single was Lucroy’s second of the season. The Athletics are now 7-4 in extra inning games for the season and improved to 14-6 in games decided in the last at bat.

On the Hill

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At meeting at the mound on Saturday night Photo Charlie O. Mallonee

The Giants started their one-time superstar – LHP Madison Bumgarner – who has struggled since coming back from a broken finger on his pitching hand. “MadBum” looked strong in the opening four innings, but the A’s hitters got patient and things went south for Bumgarner in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Bumgarner loaded the bases and walked two runs in to give the A’s the lead 2-1 which ended his night. Sam Dyson came in to relieve Bumgarner and induced Mark Canha to hit into a double play but Chad Pinder scored the A’s third run on the play.

Bumgarner worked 4.0-plus innings giving up three runs (earned). He walked six and struck out five.

Will Smith (0-1) took the loss.

Trevor Cahill started the game for Oakland. It was his second start since coming off the disabled list. He worked 5.2-innings and gave up one run (earned) on a home run to Brandon Belt. Cahill struck out five and walked three.

Blake Treinen was charged with his fourth blown save of the season as he gave up the tying run when Hunter Pence hit the RBI-double into the bullpen along the right field line.

Yusmeiro Petit picks up his fifth win of the year as he was the pitcher of record after working a perfect top of the 11th inning for the A’s.

At the Plate

Matt Chapman went 3-for-5 with two runs scored to lead the A’s with the bat. He is now hitting at a .253 clip.

Stephen Piscotty hit his 26th double of the year off Bumgarner.

Phegley (10), Semien (34) and Lucroy (28) all recorded RBI for the A’s.

Oakland went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.

Hunter Pence likes being a DH. He went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI as the Giants DH Saturday night.

The Giants also went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left 8 men on base.

Let the buying begin

Familia
Jeurys Familia Photo MLB.com

The question has been answered. The A’s are going to be buyers as the non-wavier trade deadline approaches. Oakland has acquired RHP relief pitcher Jeurys Familia from the New York Mets for two minor leaguers and $1-million in international slot money. Familia appeared in 40 games for NYM posting a 2.88 ERA with a 1.230 WHIP. He has struck out 43 in 40.2-innings and walked just 14. Familia has given up just one home run. He will be a free agent at the end of the 2018 season.

Get those suitcases packed

The A’s will head out on the road after the game on Sunday for a seven-game, two-city road trip. They will play four games in hot, humid Arlington, Texas versus the Rangers. All four games are night contests. There is no thought of day baseball this time of year in the Metroplex. After the four games in Texas, Oakland heads to Denver to play three games at Coors Field with the Colorado Rockies. The power hitting Athletics may find batting at a mile-high just to their liking.

Lonnnnng homestand coming

The A’s will return home from their road trip on Monday, July 30 to begin a stretch where 17 of their next 20 games will be played in Oakland. The only break in the homestand is three games in Anaheim with the Angels. Oakland will host the Blue Jays, Tigers, Dodgers, Mariners, Astros and Rangers in those 17 home games.

A belated parade for the 1989 World Champions

The 1989 World Champion Oakland Athletics were honored with long overdue parade to celebrate their 1989 World Series sweep of the San Francisco Giants. The team did not receive the parade because they did not want to show disrespect to those who lost loved ones in the tragic earthquake that disrupted the series. The celebration before the game was very nice. The one sad thing was there are several players that have passed on who could be there to be a part of the pregame honor.

Up next

The sixth and final game of the 2018 Bay Bridge Series will be played on Sunday at the Coliseum at 1:05 PM. The Giants will send RHP Johnny Cueto to the mound for his third start since coming off the disabled list on July 5th. He is 3-1 on the year with a 2.36 ERA. Cueto is 2-0 in Interleague games this season.

The A’s will counter with LHP Sean Manaea who 4-0 with a 3.14 ERA in eight starts since the beginning of June. His overall record this season is 9-6 with a 3.42 ERA. Manaea has an 11-game winning streak when pitching in day games that dates back to May 20, 2017. He is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in three career starts versus the Giants.

Bumgarner sets the tone, Crawford provides the pop in Giants’ impressive 1-0 win over the Rockies

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Madison Bumgarner couldn’t remember his pitch mix, or how often he relied on his terrific slider Wednesday night. The World Series hero didn’t put much stock in his impressive spring training that ended with him breaking a bone in his hand in his final tuneup. And he knew he felt better entering his last two starts–both dominating outings–but he surely didn’t know exactly what it was that had him feeling so good.

What Bumgarner did know was bluntly specific: He needed to do his thing on the mound Wednesday, and his club, the Giants, needed to post a win. With those two things hand delivered, little else mattered.

With Bumgarner dealing, followed by Will Smith and Reyes Moronta and their microscopic ERA’s, then followed by Brandon Crawford’s majestic game-winning homer, the Giants looked like a force Wednesday, one far more impressive than their 42-39 record at the season’s halfway point. But they’ll take it, especially with their key guys doing what they envisioned them doing before the season-to-date took its winding course.

Crawford, who delivered the game-winning blast off Rockies’ Harrison Musgrave, explained the importance of his decisive blow.

“We have a day game (Thursday), so everybody wants to go home,” Crawford said. “You’re excited to get around the bases and get to the guys at home plate. Those are the reasons you play baseball.”

In a game that went scoreless until there was one out recorded in the bottom of the ninth inning, you’re not necessarily going to run home impressed. But this tightly contested ballgame showed off the Giants’ star power and provided a clear example of how the veteran-laden club could impact the National League postseason portrait.

Bumgarner and Buster Posey, the HOF battery mates, shut down the Rockies’ lineup, allowing two hits, while striking out eight in seven, scoreless innings. When things got tight in the fifth, after Bumgarner walked consecutive batters to load the bases, he struck out Rockies’ pitcher Kyle Freeland to end the inning. Power guys Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story, as well as table-setters Charlie Blackmon and D.J. LaMahieu were completely shutdown. Blackmon’s sixth inning base hit was the only dent the Colorado quartet managed versus Bumgarner.

The Giants have won 12 of 15 at AT&T Park and moved within 4 1/2 games of division-leading Arizona.

MadBum, Giants shut down the Padres 3-0

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Photo credit: @sdutSanders

By Jeremy Harness

SAN FRANCISCO – It appears that the dominant Madison Bumgarner has returned, and that the hand injury that wrecked the first half of his season is in the rearview mirror.

The big lefty got his first win of the year Thursday night, as he threw zeroes at the San Diego Padres for eight innings as the Giants ran away with a 3-0 win at AT&T Park. In the process, Bumgarner also broke out of a major drought against San Diego. Prior to Thursday night, he was 0-4 with a 4.73 ERA in his previous six starts against the Padres.

He surrendered only three hits to the Padres while throwing exactly 100 pitches and walked two and struck out eight. Thursday marked the first time a starting pitcher has gone at least eight innings this season.

“He never stops trying to get better,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s critical for your bullpen to have a guy or two who can get you deep into games. Those guys (in the bullpen) needed a break, especially the guys we’ve been using in the setup-closing role.” San Diego threatened to take the first lead, putting together a bit of a rally in the fifth inning, after Jose Pirela led off with a single and Manuel Margot followed that up with a double two at-bats later.

As Margot’s hit bounced off the right-field wall, Pirela got a little greedy, and the gamble did not pay off. Andrew McCutchen played the carom perfectly in right field and immediately hit his cut-off man, second baseman Joe Panik, as Pirela motored around third.

Panik then fired home, and catcher Buster Posey had plenty of time to tag out Pirela, who didn’t even bother to slide home. Bumgarner then retired the next batter, A.J Ellis, to kill the rally.

The Giants then led off their half of the inning with a single and a double to put runners in scoring position with nobody out. With one out, Bumgarner sent a fly ball deep enough into left field to allow Pablo Sandoval to tag up from third and give the Giants a 1-0 lead.

The Giants added another pair of runs in the eighth when Buster Posey singled in Alen Hanson, who led off the inning by legging out a triple. Four batters later, Posey motored home when Pirela could not haul in a soft fly ball by Sandoval in shallow right field, extending the Giants’ lead to three.

That lifted the pressure off the Giants, with the extra cushion allowing for the opportunity for Mark Melancon to pitch the ninth. The one-time closer has primarily worked the sixth and seventh innings this year while making his way back from a flexor strain in his right elbow, an injury that kept him out of the first 56 games.

Melancon hit a slight bump early on, allowing a single to Hunter Renfroe but retired the next three hitters in order to nail down his first save of the year.

“It’s good to get him out there and get him a save. I’m sure he felt good to be out there in a save situation, where he’s been so many times,” Bochy said. “We lost Hunter (Strickland), but to have three or four guys who are comfortable pitching the eighth and ninth innings is invaluable.”

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Will the Giants Trade Bumgarner?

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Photo credit: @Covers

By: Amaury Pi-González

Will the San Francisco Giants trade Madison Bumgarner? Many Giants fans would give an answer like “Never, preposterous!” or something of that sort. But it’s understandable as they are fans and they would probably react with emotion to the glorious past of one of the most successful pitchers in the MLB postseason.

Though, the Giants are in a very interesting situation. Although, they are not far from first place in a very feeble NL West division where everybody–except the Giants and Padres– have occupied first place at one point in the 2018 season so far.

That being said, the clock is ticking. The trade deadline is on July 31st, just a couple of weeks after the MLB All-Star Game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Bumgarner could be the finishing touch to postseason regulars like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and vice versa. Bumgarner could be that guy with the postseason experience to bring one of those teams a World Series title.

Remember what the Houston Astros did late last season? They picked up Justin Verlander at the end of the season and Verlander gave the Astros that extra push to win their first ever World Series. So there is a precedent for this, Bumgarner could be the next Verlander this October!

Let’s face it: This is a last go around for this Giants’ roster with guys like Bumgarner, Crawford, Posey, Pence, and Belt that have gone to the October Dance; but it doesn’t seem they have enough to make it this year.

To me, the Giants look like maybe another .500 club in a 2018 season where there are a handful of super teams like the Astros, Red Sox, Yankees, Nationals, and maybe Dodgers, but a majority of teams are currently stuck in mediocrity.

The NL West is not the best division in baseball and might not be this season. In life, timing is everything.

So what is the limit for the Giants on trading Bumgarner for some young players? That is the question. The Yankees are loaded with young talent and some of that young talent has developed faster than they have imagined. The Yankees could be the perfect trading partners with the Giants for a Bumgarner deal. The Yankees are in the American League East, so Bumgarner will not be able to face the Giants on a regular basis unless if there’s an unlikely situation where the Giants will meet the Yankees this October in the World Series.

Things can turn around very quickly in baseball and I am sure the Giants are hoping that their team will wake up soon and put out a good winning streak even if it is not 15 in a row. The Giants have played over half of the road games already, so they have plenty of games left at cozy AT&T Park. It seems they cannot catch a break, Brandon Belt has returned while Evan Longoria has left with a broken hand and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

Pablo Sandoval is doing whatever he can, but he is not a regular anymore and most of his hits are batting left-handed. Gorkys Hernández has exceeded expectations, but he is not a regular. Samardzija and Cueto have been hurt this season. And, to be fair, when was the last time the Giants had their rotation together this season? Never.

Bumgarner made his first start two months and weeks into the season, Cueto will not be back until the MLB All-Star Break and Samardzija has not found his groove yet. Although personally I was never high on “The Shark,” who signed with the Giants in 2015 on a five-year contract for $90 million. He owns a career record of 69-91 with a 4.16 ERA, and his best year with the Giants was 2016 when he won 12 and lost 11. Amigos, that is one expensive contract.

I like Bumgarner. He is a great competitor, but he is the biggest bait for trade that could make an aging club, younger and maybe more competitive in the future. The clock might be running out sooner that many believe on this 2018 Giants.

As far as trading Bumgarner and getting some good, exciting prospects go, it might be like the famous #1 Elvis song in 1960, “It’s Now or Never.”

Bumgarner gives it up, then gets ejected in frustrating 7-5 loss to the Marlins

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Photo credit: Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald

By Morris Phillips

Having missed more than a third of the season due to a fluke, broken bone injury, and just eight innings into his return, Madison Bumgarner was in no mood for home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak.

Sure, being resigned to not getting a win in either of his first, two starts had the ultra-intense Bumgarner feeling some type of way. That and Rehak’s confusing strike zone, a game-tying single allowed to Lewis Brinson, and the four-pitch walk issued to Justin Bour prior to Brinson’s hit that had the whole Giants’ bench chirping at Rehak.

Telling Bruce Bochy he was okay during a mound visit after the Bour walk, only to allow the Brinson single, which forced the manager’s hand, ending Bumgarner’s evening was the equivalent of the Giants star’s boiling point.

“That’s why I went out there, to make sure he was fine. He assured me he felt good, then he gave up another hit. I had no choice. It was mounting on him,” Bochy recounted.

So the pitcher had to depart, and a final message had to be sent to Rehak. Bumgarner slyly nodded, Rehak immediately responded, resulting in the first ejection of Bum’s career.

“I could tell he wanted to toss me, and I said, ‘Go ahead.’ I might’ve given him a little encouragement.”

So matter of fact, and subtle, was the moment, Bochy and catcher Nick Hundley standing on the mound awaiting the arrival of reliever Reyes Moronta didn’t know the ejection took place behind them. Bumgarner passed on a reaction, and never broke stride towards the dugout.

“It wasn’t worth going over (and confronting Rehak),” said Bumgarner.

And so went Bum. The Giants, on their way back to .500 for the 15th time this season, would soon follow. Sam Dyson coughed up a tie-breaking, two-run shot to J.T. Realmuto in the seventh, propelling the Marlins to a 7-5 win.

The loss ended the Giants’ run of eight wins in 10 games. The visitors fell to 22-5 when scoring five runs or more. Meanwhile, the lowly Marlins won at Marlins Park for only the 13th time (13-22).

“Any night you get to a tough pitcher like Bumgarner, that’s a good night, especially when we win,” Brinson said.

While Bumgarner’s ejection drew headlines, two other occurences loomed bigger. First, the Marlins overcame the Giants’ 1-0, 4-2 and 5-4 leads, tying or taking the lead each time. They hadn’t overcome three deficits and won since 2010.

That and Realmuto’s homer was a bomb, causing centerfielder Gorkys Hernandez, playing shallow, to run more than 50 feet to the wall in straight away center field only to see the ball fly 15 feet over his head at the warning track. Still, Realmuto wasn’t sure.

“I was running the bases like it wasn’t going to get out because I’ve been fooled in that part of the park many times,” he said.

After creeping over the .500 mark twice previously only to fall below it immediately after, losing the 66th game of the season with their ace on the mound was something the Giants dearly wanted to avoid. Now, winning the next three days in the home park of the NL’s worst team is the new goal.

The Giants’ three rookie starters will get a crack at the Marlins beginning with Chris Stratton facing winless Trevor Richards (0-3, 5.02) on Tuesday. Can’t take anything for granted though: the Giants were 1-5 versus Miami in 2017, and they’ve dropped eight of their last 11 contests at Marlins Park.

Bumgarner solid in season debut, but Giants lose to Dbacks 3-2

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Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — It took nearly two months, but Madison Bumgarner finally made his 2018 season debut for the San Francisco Giants.

Bumgarner went six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits, while walking no one and striking out three; however, the Arizona Diamondbacks spoiled the night with a 3-2 victory over the Giants before a crowd of 36,925 at AT&T Park on Tuesday night.

The loss stopped the Giants’ five-game winning streak, as they fell to 4-1 on the six-game home stand versus the Philadelphia Phillies.

Through the first, Chris Owings got the Diamondbacks on the board in the top of the third inning, as he followed Ketel Marte’s double with one of his own. Kristopher Negron then made it 2-0, as he drove in Owings with a single to left field.

Paul Goldschmidt was locked in as he usually is against the Giants, as he picked up three hits in his only three at-bats off of Bumgarner.

This season against the Giants, Goldschmidt is hitting .429, as he is 12-for-28 with two home runs and five runs batted in. Against all other opponents this season, Goldschmidt is a combined 35-for-186, a .188 clip with six home runs and 15 RBIs.

Patrick Corbin was cruising into the fourth inning, as he did not allow a base runner until Andrew McCutchen got a base hit off of the left-hander to break up the no-hitter.

The Giants finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Mac Williamson hit a double to left field and then Brandon Crawford continues to hit the ball well, as he hit a double inside the third base line to score Williamson from second base.

Pablo Sandoval then hit a bloop single that fell in between Marte, Nick Ahmed and Owings that allowed Crawford to reach third base. Joe Panik then walked to load the bases, but Corbin regrouped to strikeout Bumgarner, Gorkys Hernandez and Buster Posey in succession to end the inning.

That fifth double by Crawford extended his home hitting streak up to 14 games, as 24-for-49 (.490) with 11 RBIs during the streak.

Corbin ended up going 6.1 innings, allowing x runs on just four hits, walking two and striking out seven in route to his raising his record to 6-2 on the season.

Mark Melancon made his second appearance of the season, as he replaced Bumgarner in the top of the seventh inning.

Melancon ended up going one inning, striking out two and throwing a wild pitch.

With a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning after loading the bases on walks against Corbin, Andrew Chafin and Yoshihisa Hirano, the Giants were unable to score, as Hirano got Posey to fly out to Jarrod Dyson to end the threat.

The Giants put two more on in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Evan Longoria singled with one out, then Crawford walked with two outs; however, Archie Bradley was able to regroup to get Sandoval to ground out to Ahmed to end the inning.

Hunter Strickland came on in the top of the ninth inning, and the Diamondbacks added another run, as Deven Marrero hit into Fielders’ Choice then Dyson walked and Jake Lamb hit a pinch-hit single that scored Marrero.

With one last chance to get back into the game, Alen Hanson hit a double that bounced on the right field line; however, the play was reviewed and after a brief 41 second review, the play stood. Boxberger then got Hernandez to strikeout swinging, and then Posey singled to right field to score Hanson from second base.

With McCutchen coming to the plate as the potential winning run, Austin Jackson came on to pinch run for Posey. McCutchen then singled to left field to bring up Longoria, who grounded out to Ahmed to end the game.

Brad Boxberger got the final three outs of the game, as he picked up his 14thsave in 15 opportunities.

NOTES: Chris Stratton will look to close the home stand on a high note, as he takes the mound for the Giants, and the Diamondbacks will send Clay Buchholz to the hill.

The game can be viewed on Facebook with Rich Waltz, Mike Krukow and Eric Byrnes on the call, and Ashley Adamson on the sidelines.

To make room for Bumgarner on the roster, Pierce Johnson was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

Thru the first five games, the Giants have outscored their opponents 24-7 with one game remaining on the home stand.

With their first pick (second pick overall) in the 2018 MLB Draft on Monday, the Giants selected Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart, who was the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. Bart led the ACC in batting with a .359 clip, second in slugging at .632, and hits with 79. He also finished in the top 10 in home runs with 16, runs scored with 55, and on-base percentage at .471. His defense was outstanding as well, as finished the season with a career-best .992 fielding percentage.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Dbacks face off in a rubber match on Wednesday afternoon at 12:45 pm PDT.