Bumgarner’s 2 homers leave teammates in awe
PHOENIX — Major-league baseball has been played since the notion of motor vehicles replacing horses was considered crazy. In all those decades, no pitcher had hit two home runs on Opening Day until Madison Bumgarner did it Sunday.
“I was laughing,” Giants first baseman Brandon Belt said. “It’s pretty hard to believe. You expect him to get one now and again. I didn’t expect him to drop two in the first game.”
Bumgarner hit a laser off Arizona starter Zack Greinke in the fifth inning, then a skyscraping blast off lefty Andrew Chafin in the seventh. Only one other San Francisco pitcher, Jim Gott (in 1985), had hit two homers in a game. Only three pitchers since 1970 had homered on Opening Day, most recently the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw against the Giants in 2013.
“I’m trying to be level-headed about it, even-keeled,” Bumgarner said. “Obviously, it’s pretty special, having a chance to do that, but my job is on the mound. That’s where my main concern is. We work a lot on our hitting here. Sometimes a pitcher hitting can affect the outcome of a game. It didn't today.”
Bumgarner led 3-0 and carried a perfect game into the sixth, when he allowed three runs. He had been unhittable early because of a fastball that hit 94 mph and sat at 93 (the result, he said, of some mechanical tweaks) combined with a sharp curveball and command. He had no walks and 11 strikeouts, including the side in the second inning on 10 pitches.
“He was really good,” catcher Buster Posey said. “It’s just, baseball is a funny game, how he can be as good as he can, they hit some tough pitches there, and they’re able to get back into the game.” Roster moves: Catcher Trevor Brown (ankle) and outfielder Mac Williamson (quad) were placed on the new 10-day disabled list.
The Giants cleared 40-man roster spots for Aaron Hill, Neil Ramirez and Chris Marrero by placing reliever Will Smith on the 60-day disabled list and designating for assignment minor-league pitchers Ray Black and Ian Gardeck. They could stay in the organization if not claimed. Briefly: Eduardo Nuñez had an excellent first Opening Day with the Giants. He had three hits, including a double, an RBI and two steals, but he overslid third base attempting to advance on a pitch in the dirt and was called out on video review. … The Giants had a chance to take a big lead in the ninth, but Posey hit a shallow flyball and Brandon Crawford a short chop off the plate with the bases loaded. … Hill, who wore No. 94 in spring training, selected Gregor Blanco’s No. 7 for the season.