6. April 2, 2017 – Bumgarner goes deep…twice!
Known already for his incredible grit in the playoffs in leading the Giants to 3 titles in 5 seasons, Madison Bumgarner‘s Giants had fallen short in the playoffs against the Cubs in 2016, and he was determined not to be his fault the team didn’t make it back to the postseason in 2017 when he stepped on the hill for Opening Day.
Sure, Bumgarner would pitch himself silly, going 7 strong innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits without a single walk, striking out 11 Diamondbacks hitters. He was at just 88 pitches, but his manager Bruce Bochy chose to pull him for a reliever.
However, it was not just Bumgarner’s work on the mound that had given him a chance to win the ballgame on this day. Instead, he led off the 5th inning with a home run to one of the deepest parts of the field. The Diamondbacks rallied off of Bumgarner in the bottom of the 6th, bringing the score to 3-3 going into the top of the 7th.
Of course, allowing 3 runs only seemed to anger Bumgarner. He crushed another ball to nearly the same part of the park as his first home run, becoming the first-ever pitcher to hit home runs in an Opening Day.
In spite of his hitting heroics, when Bochy pulled Bumgarner, he likely felt his bullpen, one of his strengths in 2016 and having added one of the top closer free agents, would be able to shut the door. Instead new free agent signing Mark Melancon allowed a pair of runs to give the Diamondbacks a 6-5 victory.
Next: Kershaw dominates