San Francisco Giants hit 4 HR’s; Madison Bumgarner throws gem

The San Francisco Giants hammered out four home runs and two doubles, while shutting out the New York Mets on only two hits Sunday afternoon, taking the third game of the series, 9-0.  Hunter Pence hit two home runs, while Buster Posey and Brandon Belt added one apiece, and Madison Bumgarner threw the second complete game victory in three nights for the resurgent Giants’ pitching staff.

Altogether, San Francisco had a dozen hits, with Posey’s four leading the barrage.  He had singles in the first and ninth innings with a double in the fifth to go along with his home run.  He scored twice and had three RBI’s.

Before we name Buster the game’s MVP, consider Hunter Pence.  Not only did he begin the assault with a two-run home run in the second inning, off of the ageless Bartolo Colon, he also hit another rocket in the ninth, to add the Giants’ ninth and final run to the score.  His fifth-inning double plated Madison Bumgarner, who had singled, and gave Pence four RBI’s on the day.

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) hit a home run, a double, and two singles in Sunday’s game. Mandatory Credit: Eileen Blass-USA TODAY Sports

And lastly, if we are discussing game MVP’s, how about Madison Bumgarner and his complete-game shutout, with ten K’s and only a game-opening walk to Curtis Granderson keeping him from attaining yet another ten-K/0 walk day on the mound?  He surrendered a leadoff double to Wilmer Flores in the third and a broken-bat single to David Wright in the seventh.

Bumgarner faced three batters over the minimum, never allowed two runners on base in the same inning, and only allowed one runner to get as far as second base, in the person of Flores who hit the double.  He threw a total of 94 pitches, needing only ten pitches to close out the ninth.  He was dominating, as he has been on the road all season, while accumulating a 9-2 road win/loss record.

If his pitching was not enough to get him recognition, Bumgarner also added a hit and a base on balls to his resume, scoring both times he reached base.  His name was being bandied about by Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper, as a candidate for the Silver Slugger Award, on the basis of his three home runs, thirteen hits, and twelve RBI’s

Bartolo Colon pitched until there were two outs in the fifth, giving up six runs on eight hits, while striking out five.  Colon did not walk a batter.  Buddy Carlyle got the Mets out of their fifth-inning jam and pitched the sixth.  

Carlos Torres pitched the seventh and was responsible for Posey’s two-run shot.  Dana Eveland pitched the eighth and into the top of the ninth, giving up Pence’s second blast and the fourth hit of the night to Posey, before Josh Edgin  got Joaquin Arias, in for Pablo Sandoval, to ground out to shortstop. 

The game was a flashback to the better times from earlier in the season, with a vulgar display of power, and dominating pitching.  With Angel Pagan on the brink of returning, this was a sweet win, one that may get the victory bus rolling again, before Pagan has even had time to get on board.  Of course, if he’d like to join the rest, that would be OK too.

Hunter Pence had two homers and a double, with four RBI’s. Photo Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports