Giants: Matt Cain to make farewell start Saturday.
PHOENIX — As Madison Bumgarner sent baseball after baseball into the bleachers during batting practice Tuesday, one into the second deck, vivid memories of the two for-real homers he hit here on Opening Day returned.
So much happened to the Giants and Bumgarner since the start of the season, which is over for the big fella, at least on the mound.
In announcing that Matt Cain will make his farewell start for the Giants at AT&T Park on Saturday, manager Bruce Bochy also said he has decided to skip Bumgarner’s final scheduled start Friday so he can end 2017 on a good note.
In what proved to be his final game, Bumgarner pitched into the eighth inning in Los Angeles on Saturday night and beat the Dodgers. Bumgarner’s health is fine. “I’m glad I can say I feel as good as I ever have after what happened,” he said.
“What happened” was the April 20 dirt-bike accident that cost Bumgarner roughly 14 starts and contributed to the Giants’ inconceivable pratfall.
Assuming he does not pitch another inning or two in relief, Bumgarner will end the year 4-9 with a 3.32 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 111 innings, which might be better than he had a right to expect after he separated his pitching shoulder during his day-off folly in Colorado.
That his season had a happy ending — personally, not for the Giants — speaks to his strength and the work he did to get back. He made 13 starts after nearly three months getting healthy.
“With all that happened this year, the rehab, I thought it was enough,” Bochy said.
So Chris Stratton will end his rookie year in Friday night’s series opener against the Padres. Cain will pitch Saturday and Johnny Cueto on Sunday, at least for now. Bochy left himself some wiggle room for the final game of the year.
Cain has invited friends and relatives to San Francisco for Saturday’s game because, he said, “We’re not exactly sure what the future holds for us.”
He almost assuredly will make his 331st and final start for the Giants more than 12 years after he debuted Aug. 29, 2005, with five innings against the Rockies at AT&T Park. Long before his name became a verb, he was Cained that night, losing 2-1.
Cain knew for a long time this day was coming. He described his emotions upon its arrival as “a little bit of everything.”
“That’s the hard part,” he said. “I haven’t been in this situation before. I’ve never come down to the end of the season not exactly sure what’s coming up for the next season. It’s definitely a different feeling for me. It’s a little uncomfortable, but it’s also exciting at the same time.
“I had a ton of fun over here, and I’m just looking forward to trying to enjoy the last week with the guys and see what will become of it after that.”
Earlier this month, in a conversation with The Chronicle, Cain dropped hints he was leaning toward retirement rather than attempting to extend his career with another team.
He called the idea of playing his whole career with one team “something that’s dear to my heart” and “something I might be stubborn about more than some other guys.”
On Tuesday, Cain said he feels it best to take time after the season to ruminate before making the call.
“I’d like to get the decision right,” he said. “I don't want to be one of those guys who says something I can’t take back. I’d like to be as close to 100 percent sure as I could be.
“I might have a feeling now of what I’d like to do, but I don’t know if now is the right time to be fully invested in that. It might be helpful to try to be as patient as I can about it.” Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: hschulman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hankschulman