Madison Bumgarner will pitch the winner-take-all Wild Card game. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)
SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner has made six postseason starts, and he enjoyed his fair share of success in those games. However, when the left-hander takes the mound Wednesday in Pittsburgh in the National League wild-card game, he will have to deal with a new experience.
An elimination game.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy made it official Sunday: Bumgarner will get the ball in the loser-goes-home showdown with the Pirates.
Bumgarner, an 18-game winner this year, went a combined 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA during the Giants’ postseason runs to World Series titles in 2010 and ’12. However, even though San Francisco faced six must-win games in 2012, Bumgarner was never scheduled to pitch any of them.
While the Giants are confident their top starter is on the mound, the Pirates rolled the dice on Sunday.
Right-hander Gerrit Cole started with the chance to win the National League Central as the reward there for the taking. But the Pirates loss to the Cincinnati Reds revealed the risk in that decision.
Right-hander Edinson Volquez has been the Pirates’ hottest pitcher with a 1.36 ERA in September, but his recent track record — MLB-worst 5.71 ERA in 2013 among qualified starters and one miserable postseason start — might be reasons for Hurdle to perspire.
“We’re going to find out. But I like our team,” Hurdle said. “I like our fight. I like our grit.”
Volquez was chased from the 2010 National League Division Series by the Phillies before the second inning was over. His resurgence, 13-7 this season with the Pirates, breeds confidence in the clubhouse according to Cole.
“He’s been there all year … it’s hard not to be impressed,” Cole said.
Bumgarner faced the Pirates once this season, and it did not go well. He gave up four runs in the first inning and five overall in four innings in a 5-0 loss.
That game was at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Bumgarner had most of his success on the road this season, going 11-4 with a 2.22 ERA.
“We’ve got confidence,” Giants second baseman Joe Panik said. “We’ve got our horse (Bumgarner) going. When he’s on the mound, we’ve very confident wherever we play.”
NOTES: Opposing hitters had a .225 batting average against Pirates RHP Edinson Volquez at PNC Park. … Giants 1B/OF Travis Ishikawa will start in left field against the Pirates. Ishikawa doesn’t have much experience in left field. He made just his third big-league start there Sunday. However, he is hitting well enough as a starter (nine RBIs in 14 starts) to earn manager Bruce Bochy’s call in the elimination game. … Right-hander Tim Hudson would be the Game 1 starter for the Giants in the NLDS at Washington. … Pirates C Russell Martin (hamstring) is officially day-to-day after sitting out the last two games of the regular season, but said he is ready for Wednesday’s game. The chronic left hamstring issue will be monitored closely in the postseason, manager Clint Hurdle said.
