Walk-off warriors: Giants thriving on drama, Pablo Sandoval homers to beat Cubs
SAN FRANCISCO – With each passing day, the Giants become more convinced they have what it takes to continue a special July run and complete a stunning march to the postseason.
When Madison Bumgarner takes the mound and pitches like he has lately, good luck convincing them otherwise.
The Chicago Cubs tried to spoil the Giants’ hopes with an eighthinning rally, but San Francisco is thriving on drama these days.
It took until the bottom of the 13th inning, but the Giants secured their 17th win in their last 20 games on a Pablo Sandoval opposite field home run to clinch a 5-4 victory.
After rookie reliever Sam Coonrod struck out Cubs sluggers Javy Báez and Kris Bryant in the top of the 13th, Sandoval stepped to the plate and launched a solo shot that barely snuck over the left field wall to secure the Giants’ sixth straight series win.
The Giants’ fourth extra-inning walk-off win in the last six days created even more stress on an overwhelmed bullpen, but the unit rose to the occasion under difficult circumstances on Tuesday.
Kevin Pillar’s double off the very top of the left center field wall came within centimeters of ending the game in the bottom of the 10th, but the rest of the hitters who followed couldn’t bring him home. Sandoval was the player who grounded out to end the 10th inning, but he redeemed himself with his fourth career walk-off home run that moved the Giants into sole possession of second place in the NL West.
The night ended with a sterling performance from relievers Will Smith, Mark Melancon and Coonrod, but it began with an ace who sets the tone for a Giants team that’s won 17 of 20 for the first time since 2001.
In the two-decade history of the Giants’ waterfront ballpark, only a select group of celebrated pitchers have dominated quite like Bumgarner.
Matt Cain has thrown more innings in the stadium and Tim Lincecum has racked up a few more wins and a couple additional strikeouts, but Bumgarner’s 2.74 home ERA entering Tuesday’s outing at Oracle Park is the best of any pitcher who has held a regular rotation spot for the Giants.
If Tuesday’s start against the Cubs represented the potential end of a remarkable era, Bumgarner did everything his power to make sure it wasn’t.
The left-hander tossed seven innings of three-run ball against the Cubs, stranding the tying runner in scoring position in his final inning before walking off to a standing ovation from the 39,747 fans in attendance, the largest crowd at Oracle Park since Opening Day.