Hernández’s walk-off wins it for Giants
SAN FRANCISCO (TNS) – Madison Bumgarner is at his best when doubt enters the equation.
Season on the line? He’ll answer the call. Coming back on short rest in the World Series? He’s made it look easy. Overcoming two significant injuries that would change the course of most pitchers’ careers? Bumgarner appears unfazed.
While Bumgarner was the star for the first seven innings Tuesday night, Gorkys Hernández stole the spotlight at the end as he drove in Steven Duggar with a pinch-hit single to lead the Giants to a 1-0 win in the bottom of the ninth.
After Giants manager Bruce Bochy sent Alen Hanson up to pinch hit for closer Will Smith, Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo countered by bringing in left-hander Jake Diekman. Hanson never stepped into the batter’s box as Bochy replaced Hanson with Hernández, who lined the first pitch he saw into left field to bring home Duggar and send the Giants to their fourth straight win.
With the victory, the Giants
Bay Area News Group/tns Madison Bumgarner tossed seven shutout innings in the San Francisco Giants’ 1-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at AT&T Park. Gorkys Hernández won the game with a pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.
fought back to .500 and closed the gap to 6.0 games in the National League West while the D’backs fell into a tie for first-place with the Rockies.
Smith was the winning pitcher Tuesday as he fired a scoreless ninth inning. Smith helped keep the D’backs scoreless for the first 18 innings of the series and played a key role in leading the Giants to their
eighth win in their past 10 against Arizona.
Arizona sent a brigade of runners into scoring position during a tie game Tuesday, but Bumgarner brought out his eraser when the Giants needed it most.
With seven shutout innings against the firstplace Diamondbacks Tuesday, Bumgarner once again reminded an opponent why it’s smarter to just fear Bumgarner than doubt him.
Though Bumgarner allowed just four hits Tuesday, the division leaders had their chances. Arizona sent hitters to the plate with runners in scoring position throughout the middle innings, but the D’backs mustered just one hit in 10 at-bats.
During a 107-pitch outing, Bumgarner lowered his season ERA to 2.68 and his August ERA to 2.06, which is particularly impressive considering he allowed five earned runs against the Reds Aug. 18.
Bumgarner wasn’t the only Giants pitcher who escaped an intense situation, as right-hander Sam Dyson was the beneficiary of excellent defense in the eighth inning.
With one out, Dyson allowed a line drive into the gap by David Peralta, but Duggar raced over to cut the ball off on a hop. His relay throw to Brandon Crawford was on the mark, and Crawford’s throw to the plate came in plenty of time to cut down Ahmed trying to score from first.