Kansas City, Mo. — It wasn't a matter of if Madison Bumgarner would pitch for the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the World Series.
It was a matter of when.
With their third championship in five years at stake and only one starting pitcher they could truly count on, the Giants were guaranteed to use Bumgarner if that's what it took to win Wednesday night. Starting pitcher Tim Hudson acknowledged as much before taking the mound.
"Bum' is a stud," Hudson said. "He wants the ball; he always wants the ball. That's what you want out of your stud pitchers."
Never mind that Bumgarner already had pitched a franchise-record 47 2/3 innings in six postseason starts. Or that his odometer already sat at 264 innings for the year. Or that he had pitched a complete-game shutout only two days earlier, throwing 117 pitches.
None of that mattered in an all-hands-on-deck Game 7. Bumgarner went the final five innings to seal the Giants' 3-2 victory in Game 7 and stamp his name among the all-time greats in postseason pitching.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy made it clear the previous day that he had no intention of starting Bumgarner on two days' rest. But Bochy also said he wouldn't hesitate to summon him from the bullpen if the right situation occurred.
"This is the last game of the year, so it's easier to push a guy the last game," Bochy said before the game. "But, I mean, the guy's human. We care about this guy and we want to take care of him."
Bochy's other starters gave him no choice, however. Hudson made it through only 1 2/3 innings, the third time a Giants starter failed to go at least three. San Francisco starters not named Madison Bumgarner combined to pitch only 16 1/3 innings over five games with an ugly 9.92 ERA.
So, after reliever Jeremy Affeldt got the Giants to the fifth inning with a 3-2 lead, Bochy could wait no longer. He summoned Bumgarner, who was greeted with a round of boos from Royals fans upon being announced.
And, to no one's surprise, Kansas City's offense went dormant while he was in the game. After Omar Infante greeted him with a single to open the bottom of the fifth, Bumgarner retired 14 hitters in a row before Alex Gordon singled with two down in the ninth and raced to third on centerfielder Gregor Blanco's error.
With Royals fans now awake and at full throat, Bumgarner calmly retired Salvador Perez on a foul pop to third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who fell to the ground in celebration.
"You still had hope in the back of your mind that we would get something going, get the game tied and get him out of there," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "But he didn't let us do it. That's why he's a great pitcher."
It certainly was no shock during the Giants' post-game celebration when it was announced that Bumgarner was the World Series MVP. By dominating Games 1 and 5, then adding a team-first relief outing in Game 7, he was the difference in San Francisco adding another big trophy to its collection.
In his two starts, Bumgarner allowed only seven hits and one run in 16 innings (0.56 ERA), with one walk and 13 strikeouts. Toss in the five shutout innings and he finished with a 0.43 ERA over 21 innings in the World Series.
Bumgarner finished with 52 2/3 innings in the postseason, a major-league record. Along the way, he showed no fatigue whatsoever.
"He's a big, strong guy and it's because of how he takes care of himself," Bochy said. "He's got great mechanics. He is resilient and that's why he's been able to log these innings. That's why at this stage of the game his stuff has not changed. He has thrown the ball as well as he has all year."
