SAN DIEGO – Madison Bumgarner ascended a major league mound again in the Giants’ 5-3 loss Saturday afternoon, and it hardly mattered that his team was buried by 27 games in the NL West.
The only distance that matters to Bumgarner is 60 feet, 6 inches. Every waking moment provides an opportunity to beat someone at something. This is the pitcher who turned patio furniture roping into a competitive sport.
So when Bumgarner stared down the San Diego Padres and struck out the first three batters he faced, you had to wonder: could he just go ahead and pitch every inning in the rest of this Giants season?