Bumgarner: Accident ‘a freak deal’
Rockies snap Nats’ 7-game win streak
SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner had nearly finished a ride of more than two hours in the mountains outside Denver when his rented dirt bike slipped on the trail and took the pitcher to the ground directly onto his pitching shoulder.
The 2014 World Series MVP bruised ribs and sprained the AC joint in his pitching shoulder in the dirt bike accident during Thursday’s off day in Colorado. An experienced rider, Bumgarner said he was with two family members, not speeding or racing the bike, and wearing a helmet when he spun out, He doesn’t think he hit a rock or other obstruction. The ground wasn’t icy or snowy, and he said he wasn’t doing hills.
“I’m not exactly sure what happened. It was a surprise to me, too,” he said. “I wish I had some kind of cool story for you that it was some kind of crazy wreck but it really wasn’t anything spectacular, just super unfortunate. I was actually being pretty safe the whole time it was just a freak deal.”
He called Giants head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner and went to the emergency room once back in Denver.
“It’s terrible. Obviously that was not my intentions when I set out to enjoy the off day. I realize that’s definitely not the most responsible decision I’ve made,” Bumgarner said.
While the 27-year-old left-hander doesn’t believe there is structural damage in the shoulder, he didn’t want to speak prematurely about how long he might be sidelined, whether he will need surgery or on his prospects of being able to pitch again this season.
“It’s hard to put a timetable on it, but I would certainly be disappointed if I wasn’t,” he said.
LUXURY TAX: The Dodgers and Yankees are cutting payroll and their luxury tax bills — just as Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and perhaps Clayton Kershaw near the free-agent market after the 2018 season.
The Dodgers are on track to slice their tax bill by about a quarter this year and the Yankees by two-thirds. The Giants also are set to slice their payment in the first season of baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, but the Tigers are slated to pay more despite saying they want to reduce payroll.
If a team doesn’t pay tax in 2018, its tax rate would drop to 20 percent in 2019 — allowing perennially high-spending clubs to sign stars at a lower cost.
The Dodgers are forecast to pay a $25.1 million competitive balance tax this year, according to opening-day calculations by the commissioner’s office obtained by The Associated Press, down from $43.6 million in 2015 and $31.8 million last year. The Yankees’ bill is slated to be just under $9 million, their lowest since the tax began in 2003 and less than one-third of the $27.4 million they owed last season.
RED SOX: Pitcher Matt Barnes has been suspended four games and fined for throwing a fastball past the head of Baltimore star Manny Machado. The commissioner’s office issued the penalty Monday.
TWINS: Minnesota’s Miguel Sano has been suspended for one game and fined for what was termed “aggressive actions” that caused benches to clear during a game against Detroit last weekend.
Monday’s games
ROCKIES 8, NATIONALS 4: In Denver, Charlie Blackmon hit a two-run homer in the seventh, Colorado’s lights-out bullpen threw three-plus scoreless innings and Colorado ended the Nationals’ seven-game winning streak.
Trailing 4-3, Blackmon lined a hanging slider from lefty Enny Romero (1-1) into the right-field stands. It was Blackmon’s sixth homer of the season and followed a pinch-hit double from Pat Valaika — his first hit of the season.
The Rockies’ bullpen is 6-0 with a 2.62 ERA. GIANTS 2, DODGERS 1: In San Francisco, Matt Cain allowed two hits in six shutout innings as the Giants snapped a four-game losing streak. DIAMONDBACKS 7, PADRES 6: In Phoenix, Zack Greinke struck out 11 in six innings, Chris Owings hit his first career grand slam and Arizona held on.
David Peralta homered and singled twice for the Diamondbacks, whose 9-2 start at home ties the best in club history. CUBS 14, PIRATES 3: In Pittsburgh, Addison Russell set a career high with four hits, Jason
Heyward homered for the third time in four games and drove in four runs as the Cubs jumped on the Pirates early.
BREWERS 11, REDS 7: In Milwaukee, Eric Thames homered twice to raise his major leagueleading total to 10, Hernan Perez added a three-run shot, Matt Garza pitched for the first time this season and the Brewers beat Cincinnati.
ORIOLES 6, RAYS 3: In Baltimore, Adam Jones hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning, Hyun Soo Kim and Jonathan Schoop also went deep, and the Orioles beat Tampa Bay on a cold, damp night at Camden Yards.
All three home runs were off Chris Archer (2-1), who gave up five runs, six hits and five walks in 6⅔ innings.
TWINS 3, RANGERS 2: In Arlington, Texas, Brian Dozier hit a bases-clearing double and Minnesota ended the Rangers’ AL-best four-game winning streak.
WHITE SOX 12, ROYALS 1: In Chicago, Matt Davidson had two hits and three RBIs in an eightrun sixth, Chicago’s highestscoring inning in five years, and the White Sox handed the Royals their fifth straight loss.