Bumgarner, Cueto taking different paths
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Giants’ aces were in separate places for different showcases.
While Madison Bumgarner was pitching six scoreless innings in front of a packed crowd at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday, Johnny Cueto quietly threw 32⁄3 shutout innings in front of a few dozen folks at the Giants’ minorleague complex.
It’s the beauty of spring training. It doesn’t matter which path to the regular season is taken so long as you get there in good health and in a good groove.
“Really, all it comes down to is getting your arm in shape to throw 100-plus pitches and making sure everything’s starting to get sharp,” Bumgarner said after shutting down an Angels lineup featuring Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.
“Results here don’t really matter one way or another. Just as long as guys are ready and feeling good. It’s a plus but not that big a plus to be throwing well this time of year. But it don’t hurt.”
The plan for Bumgarner, in his fifth start, was to throw five innings or 80 pitches, but he was so efficient that the Giants ended his stint after 70. His previous start lasted four innings, and there was no reason at this point to leap to seven.
Cueto’s path is slower after he arrived late to spring training because of his father’s health issues. Wednesday’s was just his second outing, and he faced a group of Arizona Triple-A players at the Jim Davenport Field in Indian School Park, 2 miles from Scottsdale Stadium.
“I’m a little bit off. I still need to pitch a little bit more,” Cueto said through interpreter Erwin Higueros after throwing 54 pitches, allowing two hits, striking out three and hitting a batter.
There was progress on each diamond, not only because Bumgarner got his first swings and Cueto did his first shimmies.
Bumgarner surrendered one hit and issued one walk. Cueto threw all his pitches for the first time. In his first outing, he threw his fastball and changeup. On Wednesday, he mixed in his curve and cutter.
“The first inning, I was opening up too much,” Cueto said. “From the second inning on, I felt my pitches coming to life a lot better.”
Cueto was far more creative this time, using his back-tothe-plate windup many times, a few quick pitches and even two shimmies. One came on his final pitch, and the tiny gathering — which included his father, Domingo, 71, who’s watching his son pitch as a big-leaguer for the first time — appreciated it.
As did the many minorleaguers who dropped by to study the intracies of the twotime All-Star.
“It’s big when you see a lot of prospects who are watching you and trying to learn from you,” Cueto said. “I felt good being around the kids.”
Because he hasn’t built up his workload, Cueto isn’t pitching for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic’s second round, saying, “I’m sorry. I would like to represent my country. I hope they understand why.”
At the same time, he’s not ruling himself out of the semifinals and final next week.
“If the third round comes around and they need me,” Cueto said, “then I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
As for Bumgarner’s first spring training at-bats, in the 8 spot in the lineup, he was 0for-2 with two strikeouts, one that ended with his bat flying into the crowd along the thirdbase line.
“Pretty not very good,” he said.