» BUMGARNER BACK ON THE MOUND; GIANTS LOSE
SAN FRANCISCO — Ten years into his major league career, four seasons after he authored the greatest postseason performance in franchise history and three months after he fractured the pinky on his pitching hand, a Madison Bumgarner start remains a must-watch event.
Each Bumgarner outing is simply a special occasion, and his 2018 debut Tuesday at AT&T Park felt like a ribbon-cutting signaling a grand opening to a San Francisco Giants season that began 61 games ago at Dodger Stadium.
But after the ace took a pair of scissors to the ribbon, the Arizona Diamondbacks cut into the celebration and defeated the Giants 3-2.
After Hunter Strickland allowed a run in the top of the ninth, Buster Posey delivered an RBI single to bring the Giants within a run against D’Backs closer Brad Boxberger. But with two on and two out, Evan Longoria grounded out to shortstop to end the game.
With his first pitch to D’Backs leadoff hitter Nick Ahmed Tuesday, Bumgarner became the 22nd different pitcher used by the Giants this season. His absence created a gigantic hole atop their rotation, but injuries to Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija also left the franchise scrambling for depth for the first two months of the year.
No pitcher’s presence means more to the Giants’ goal of contending for a playoff spot than their ace, who can lock down opposing hitters in the thick of a playoff race or single-handedly will a team through a postseason series.
Even though the Giants started 30-30 and began the night 1 { games out of firstplace in the National League West, their roster felt incomplete and their playoff dreams appeared hollow without Bumgarner serving as a centerpiece in the rotation.
So while D’Backs left-hander Patrick Corbin — a starter who logged a one-hit shutout against Cueto back in April — served as Bumgarner’s adversary Tuesday, the Giants stepped onto the field beaming with an overwhelming sense of optimism.
That spirit radiated from the field in the top of the first, as Bumgarner capped off the inning by rolling a softly hit grounder to the left side that Longoria bare-handed before firing a dart to first.
The sense of invincibility Bumgarner seems to afford the Giants faded in his next inning, though, as back-to-back doubles helped Arizona open a 1-0 lead. The left-hander induced another slow chopper to the left side, but Longoria and shortstop Brandon Crawford both pulled up thinking the other infielder would glove the ball. Instead of having a play at the plate, the Giants had a communication error and suddenly faced a 2-0 deficit.
Bumgarner surrendered two more hits to lead off the third, including a second to D’Backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, but received help from his defense as Crawford fielded a one-hopper and tossed a strike to the plate to cut down the lead runner for the first out of the frame.
Arizona’s inability to capitalize with two on in the third and again in the fifth kept the Giants in the game and nearly cost the D’Backs the lead after Mac Williamson ignited a rally in the bottom of the fifth.