Madison Bumgarner after Bruce Bochy declines DH: 'Glad I didn't make him look stupid'
OAKLAND – The American League long ago decided pitchers were so unworthy of stepping up to the plate, no team had intentionally declined to use a designated hitter in 40 years.
That’s probably why Madison Bumgarner’s at-bats evoked so much enthusiasm from the large contingent of San Francisco Giants fans among the capacity crowd of 36,007 on Thursday at the Oakland Coliseum.
Plus, he can flat-out swing the bat.
The latest proof came in the third inning, when Bumgarner led off with a ringing double off center fielder Billy Burns’ glove to spark a six-run outburst as the Giants averted a four-game sweep with a 12-6 victory over the cross-bay Oakland Athletics.
In his primary capacity as the starting pitcher, Bumgarner helped San Francisco halt a three-game skid with 6 1/3 mostly sharp innings, until Yonder Alonso’s two-run homer in the seventh ended his night as the A’s closed to within 8-4.
As a batter, Bumgarner managed just that one hit in four at-bats, but it proved the catalyst for a Giants squad that had been outscored 28-15 in the latest installment of the Bay Bridge series. Brandon Belt’s two-RBI double and Buster Posey’s three-run homer further fueled the rally.
“It’s definitely pretty special that we got a chance to do that,’’ Bumgarner said of manager Bruce Bochy’s much-debated decision to have him hit. “I’m glad I didn’t make him look stupid and got a hit out there. It doesn’t happen very often anymore.’’
The rare at-bats in an AL ballpark may serve as a small measure of consolation for Bumgarner being denied the chance to compete in the Home Run Derby. He had expressed a desire to participate in the showcase event the day before the All-Star Game, but Bochy said that notion has been discarded.
“There’s no Home Run Derby with Madison. It’s been nixed,’’ Bochy said. “The players union, of course they don’t want a pitcher taking a (position) player’s spot in the Home Run Derby, and I don’t think they were too keen on doing the pitchers’ (Derby) this year.’’
That idea emerged after pitchers like the Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, both adept hitters, said they’d like a spot in the derby, as well.
Bumgarner said his possible participation in the home run contest got blown out of proportion, and he realized there are more deserving candidates.
“It would be fun to do,’’ he said, “but at the same time, you don’t want to take away the chance for a guy who’s got 15, 20 homers in the first half.’’
Rather than Bumgarner swinging away in an exhibition, the Giants opted to have his bat in the lineup at the Coliseum, becoming the first team to eschew the DH since the 1976 Chicago White Sox had Ken Brett – a career .262 hitter – bat for himself.
The right-handed-hitting Bumgarner tagged a 3-1 fastball from rookie lefty Dillon Overton for the double – which left his bat at 103 mph, according to Statcast –then popped up, struck out and grounded into a double play in his next three at-bats.
Bochy, who called Bumgarner the best-hitting pitcher he has ever seen, has used him as a pinch-hitter before and last year considered having him bat in an AL ballpark. This time, with the Giants’ roster decimated by injuries, Bochy weighed his options and consulted with Bumgarner, who is always eager to grab a bat.
“This wasn’t a tough call for me, the way he swings the bat, the numbers, facing a left-hander, all these things came into play,’’ Bochy said. “It’s nothing against our guys, but he’s a pretty good hitter, and it’s a pretty good matchup.’’
Though Bumgarner is batting just .190 this season, he has two home runs – one off Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw – and hit a combined .252 with nine homers in winning the Silver Slugger award each of the last two years.
His ratio of one home run every 17 at-bats over the last three seasons would rank 15th in the National League this year.
“He’s got the talent to hit, and he likes to hit. Some pitchers don’t,’’ Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens said. “He’s a power hitter with quick hands and a pretty good knowledge of the strike zone. All those things combine to allow him to have good at-bats even though he hits only once every five days.’’
A’s manager Bob Melvin wasn’t surprised the Giants chose Bumgarner over a position player, especially since three of the options – Gregor Blanco, Jarrett Parker and Conor Gillaspie – swing from the left side, and the other one is backup catcher Trevor Brown.
When he managed the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2005-09, Melvin had a sweet-swinging pitcher in Micah Owings – a career .283 hitter with nine home runs – and Melvin considered employing him instead of a DH in an AL game. He opted not to but called on Owings to pinch-hit, and the big right-hander once won a game for Arizona with a homer off the bench.
“I would love to have someone like that who you can plug into the lineup depending on what the roster looked like, but there’s not too many guys like that,’’ Melvin said, referring to Bumgarner. “He’s got some power, and he swings the bat well. He’s a real hitter.’’
And continues to prove it.
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