Bumgarner Last Ace Standing in October, And He’s Pitching Like Such

At just age 25, San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner started his third career World Series game Tuesday night. He’s yet to lose in the Fall Classic.

For all the talk about Dodgers ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw being the best pitcher in baseball, Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is making his case that the best arm in the game is in Northern California, not Southern Cal.

Bumgarner improved to 3-0 in his third World Series after the Giants defeated Kansas City 7-1 in Game 1 on Tuesday night.

“This is a big stage, a loud crowd, but he just keeps that maniacal focus,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s as good as anybody I’ve seen at it.”

“It was just about going out and making pitches and executing,” Bumgarner said. “I know that’s a boring answer, but for me, that’s all it is. I’m just trying to make pitches and take all that other stuff, push it aside and just concentrate on moving the ball around, getting ahead (in the count), getting outs and getting us back it the dugout.”

While all eyes were on “Big Game James,” James Shields of the Royals, it was actually “Mad Bum” who was “Big Game,” pitching a two-game shutout through 6 2/3 before allowing a solo home run to Royals catcher Salvador Perez that ended the shutout along with Bumgarner’s career-opening streak of World Series shutout innings at 21, placing him second to former New York Giant Christy Mathewson who had 28. Bumgarner also extended his postseason road scoreless streak to 32 2/3 innings prior to the home run, extending his own Major League record, and his with his sixth postseason victory coming Tuesday night, Bumgarner passes both Mathewson and teammate Tim Lincecum (who we’ve yet to see pitch) for the franchise record.

The only threat Bumgarner and the Giants saw all night came in the third inning, when the Royals placed runners on second and third after shortstop Brandon Crawford committed an error on a grounder by Omar Infante and Mike Moustakas doubled to send Infante to third.  Bumgarner struck out the next two batters to end the inning, stranding the runners in scoring position.

At age 25, Bumgarner joins a very select group of pitchers to have won three World Series games by age 26. The list includes: Jim Palmer, Babe Ruth, Ernie Shore, Smokey Joe Wood and Mathewson.

“I’m not here trying to set records and keep streaks going and whatever, but you do know about it,” he said. “A World Series game is not something you exactly forget about.”

Of all of the aces everyone has talked about (Adam Wainwright, Clayton Kershaw, James Shields, Jon Lester, Stephen Strasburg), Bumgarner has been the only ace to pitch as such.

His four starts this postseason are the most by any pitcher along with his 31 2/3 innings on the mound with the lowest ERA (1.42).

All of this success has come without watching any film on the opposing hitters and without looking up any stats to find weaknesses. The North Carolina native just reaches back and pitches. All he does is sit down with catcher Buster Posey and pitching coach Dave Righetti and go over scouting reports.

While the Giants could survive without a Cy Young worthy performance by Bumgarner, it helps to have a dominant pitcher willing to go the distance night after night.

“You don’t ever want to get the ball taken away from you,” Bumgarner mentioned. “I feel like if you’re out there making pitches and throwing strikes, getting ahead of guys, then chances are you’re going to be out there for a while.”

Maybe the Giants should keep him out there “for a while” longer.

One down, three games to go for a third ring for San Francisco in the last five years, this one fueled by “Big Game Bum.”

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