The Giants organized early batting practice Tuesday afternoon, hoping to address the many issues with their limp offense. The Minnesota Twins opted for some early hitting, too.
But they waited until Madison Bumgarner threw the first pitch.
The Twins didn’t just take Bumgarner to the showers. A woodshed would be more appropriate. Bumgarner faced 10 batters and retired only pitcher Carl Pavano, becoming the first player in baseball’s modern era to allow as many as nine hits while recording fewer than two outs in a 9-2 loss to the Twins at AT&T Park.
The Twins’ stunning, eight-run first inning went like so: Single, double, single, double, single, double, single, double, strikeout, double. It sounded like Arthur Murray dance instructions. It ended with Bumgarner trodden underfoot.
As a result, the Giants have lost five consecutive games for the first time since last July. And Bumgarner’s ERA soared from 3.21 to 4.06.
“I’ll be honest, that’s a first for me,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “To see it go like that — that’s hard to do. I don’t care if you’re throwing batting practice out there. It was single, double, it kept going, and we couldn’t stop it.”
From the department of odd timing, Barry Zito approached 120 pitches while throwing a two-hit shutout for Triple-A Fresno against Salt Lake. Zito walked two and struck out seven in what was expected to be his final minor league rehab start.
Bochy said he would meet with Zito on Wednesday. But the manager firmly stated he will not alter Bumgarner’s place in the rotation, which calls for the left-hander to start Sunday against the Cleveland Indians in front of a national ESPN audience.
“There’s no way I’d give him a rest after today,” said Bochy, pointing out that Bumgarner entered with a streak of 10 quality starts. “Come on. This kid’s thrown too well. It’s an off day. That’s what it is. To rest him, that’s the worst thing you can do.
“It’s good Z is throwing so well. He’s coming in tomorrow and we’ll talk.”
The resurgent Twins gave Bumgarner plenty of feedback. They hadn’t seen him before but held a long meeting before the game and perhaps picked up a few of his tells.
For a pitcher who got blasted for eight runs, Bumgarner was astoundingly efficient. He threw 22 of his 25 pitches for strikes, and it was clear the Twins were ready to swing.
“Pretty pathetic, and no excuse,” Bumgarner said. “Everything was middle of the plate and up. They did what they had to do. It was terrible pitch execution.”
Bumgarner said he didn’t think he was tipping his pitches. Bochy wasn’t so certain.
“Well, sure, you think about that,” Bochy said. “Still, I don’t care if you know what pitch is coming. It’s hard to have that many balls hit hard.”
It didn’t help that Miguel Tejada, making a rare start at shortstop against a right-handed pitcher, botched the first play of the game to allow Ben Revere to reach with a single. Eight batters later, the crowd cheered as Pavano struck out. But Revere followed with a two-run double to usher Bumgarner from the game.
It took a line-out double play for right-hander Guillermo Mota — who threw a career-high 42/3 innings — to end the carnage. It was the first time the Giants allowed as many as eight runs in the first inning since June 4, 1992, at Houston.
The Twins’ eight consecutive hits leading off the game tied the major league record, last done by the Chicago Cubs against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 8, 2009.
Bumgarner went back to look at video, then returned to the dugout in the third inning to watch the remainder of the game. Bochy and several Giants teammates took that as an encouraging sign.
“This was a tough lesson, but he’ll be better because of this,” Bochy said.
“I think it’ll help me focus and execute pitches for the rest of my career,” Bumgarner said. “You know what happens if you don’t.”
As for the Giants’ early work? It didn’t make much difference. But at least their shameful, 5-game-old hitless streak with runners in scoring position ended after 31 at-bats. Emmanuel Burriss, who replaced cleanup man Aubrey Huff at first base after four innings, came through with a single that knocked in Tejada from second base in the eighth.
