Bumgarner, Giants ready to rally vs. Marlins
San Francisco Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner, who will start against the host Miami Marlins on Wednesday night, may be auditioning for teams interested in his services. With the Giants in last place in the National League West -- and losing 11-3 to the lowly Marlins to open the three-game series on Tuesday -- dumping Bumgarner is a thought worth considering. "I feel like I threw the ball as well as I ever have," Bumgarner said after his most recent start. Bumgarner's numbers this season are not impressive -- 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA. But he held the high-powered Atlanta Braves to just two runs in six innings on Thursday, getting a season-high 17 swinging strikes. The New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies reportedly are two of the teams interested in acquiring Bumgarner, a 29-year-old who is a four-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion. Bumgarner has never posted a full-season ERA higher than 3.37, but he has a limited no-trade clause in his contract, an obstacle the Phillies and Yankees would have to work around if they want to make a trade. Postseason baseball is Bumgarner's jam -- he is 8-3 with a 2.11 ERA in the playoffs, a trait that makes him even more attractive on the trade market. Meanwhile, the Marlins will counter Bumgarner with right-hander Pablo Lopez, 23, who has never faced the Giants. Lopez is 3-5 with a 5.40 ERA this year. He has an 8.26 ERA on the road and a 1.93 ERA at home, where he will be on Wednesday. In his most recent home start, he pitched seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball in a win over the New York Mets. Marlins hitters, who connected for 14 hits on Tuesday, will be facing Bumgarner for the first time since last year. Bumgarner is 2-3 with a 4.96 ERA in eight lifetime starts against the Marlins, and that includes his 2018 numbers of 0-0, 6.75 in one appearance. On Wednesday, Bumgarner likely will face Marlins outfielders Harold Ramirez and Garrett Cooper and catcher Jorge Alfaro. Ramirez, a 24-year-old rookie, went 3-for-4 on Tuesday. Ramirez, who made his major league debut on May 11, is batting .413. "He has that closed stance, and he stays with what he does," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Ramirez. "You are asking to be pitched inside because it's where you should go (against his stance). But (pitchers) don't like to throw inside, and then they miss. And they try to go away, and he can hurt you." Cooper and Alfaro each went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer on Tuesday. After his home run, Alfaro was spotted in the dugout flexing his biceps. He said he did that because his teammates and coaches were saying he hit his home run due to the roof being open and the wind blowing out. Clearly, the Marlins were having fun during a rare blowout win. "It's really nice to be working as a team, like a family," Alfaro said of the Marlins, who have won eight of their past 11 games. "We're going out to fight together." --Field Level Media |