Madison Bumgarner dominant as Giants rout Pirates, 8-0
By Jake Misener
With his team’s season on the line, San Francisco Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner rose to the occasion, tossing a complete-game shutout on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates after a Brandon Crawford grand slam staked him to an early lead that eventually became an 8-0 win Wednesday night.
The effort was the first postseason shutout for a San Francisco pitcher since Tim Lincecum accomplished the feat back in 2010. Bumgarner was incredibly efficient, allowing just four hits and walking one, while striking out ten. Pittsburgh had a runner reach third base just one time – in the eighth – and that was only made possible by a pair of San Francisco errors.
After neither team scored for the first three innings, as Bumgarner and Pittsburgh starter Edinson Volquez traded zeroes, the Pirates right-hander ran into trouble in the fourth when he failed to locate several pitches in the inning.
Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval and outfielder Hunter Pence led off the frame with back-to-back singles and Brandon Belt drew a walk, loading the bases for San Francisco shortstop Brandon Crawford, who proceeded to take a hanging breaking ball and deposit it into the right field seats for the first-ever postseason grand slam by a shortstop, giving the Giants a 4-0 lead.
Volquez allowed five runs in five innings of work, walking three and striking out three. The pregame concerns voiced by some over his inability to effectively and consistently locate pitches quickly turned into reality, ending his night early.
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Belt added RBI singles in both the sixth and the seventh innings, extending the lead to 7-0 and a Buster Posey single in the top of the eighth inning scored Gregor Blanco, adding the eighth – and final – run of the night for the San Francisco offense.
The Giants were paced at the dish by second baseman Joe Panik, making his postseason debut, who tallied a trio of base hits. Posey, Sandoval and Belt all added a pair of hits apiece while Pence scored two runs. Belt and Crawford combined for seven of the Giants’ eight RBIs on the night and the team, as a whole, went 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Josh Harrison led the Pirates with a pair of hits out of the leadoff spot –half of the team’s total on the night against Bumgarner.
San Francisco advances to the National League Division Series, where it will match up against Washington on Friday night. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. ET. Starters have not yet been announced by either club.