Who else? Bumgarner is Series MVP
Oct 30, 2014 - 6:25 AM Kansas City, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - In five innings, Madison Bumgarner went from World Series ace to World Series closer.All the while his manager avoided him, showing Bumgarner the type of wide berth normally reserved for pitchers in the middle of a no-hitter.
The stakes in this one were even bigger.
"I was staying away from him every inning because I was hoping he wouldn't say, 'I'm starting to get a little tired,'" Bruce Bochy said with a laugh. "Because there's no way I would have taken him out unless he told me that.
"We just got on his horse and rode it."
Bumgarner was named Most Valuable Player of the World Series on Wednesday after his San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 in Game 7 for their third title in five years.
The Giants ace won Games 1 and 5 in the series and picked up a five-inning save in Game 7 on two days' rest after throwing a four-hit shutout on Sunday.
All of 25 years old, Bumgarner ran his career World Series record to 4-0 with a 0.25 ERA, earning at least one victory in each of San Francisco's three recent title runs.
Bochy said the left-hander would be available in an all-hands-on-deck Game 7, but five innings?
It gave Bumgarner 270 total innings pitched this year, including 52.2 in the postseason. He was also named MVP after the NL Championship Series against St. Louis.
He had a 0.43 ERA in his three appearances against the Royals.
"I was just concentrating on making pitches," Bumgarner said. "I wasn't thinking about how many innings I was going to go, how many pitches. I was just concentrating on outs."
The first batter he faced, Omar Infante, singled to lead off the fifth inning. Infante made it to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Alcides Escobar, who was the first of 14 straight batters retired by Bumgarner before the whole thing nearly unraveled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Alex Gordon's sliced single got past Gregor Blanco in left-center field and Gordon made it all the way to third on a two-base error that gave the Royals some hope.
But Bumgarner, renowned for his cool demeanor, settled in to throw Salvador Perez six straight fastballs. Perez hit a foul pop on the sixth one, ending the game and cementing Bumgarner's MVP.
"Madison Bumgarner, man. What can you say about him?" Kansas City manager Ned Yost said.
He has an entire offseason to find the words.
No one has shouted yet.
Be the first!
Be the first!
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