I'm Surprised You Didn't Mention This Dale...

[Lord Jim]

(I was going to post about it, but last week was so full of news, I never got around to it:)

Madison Bumgarner becomes first pitcher to hit two home runs on Opening Day



Madison Bumgarner has long been known as a pitcher who can handle his own in the batter's box. Now the San Francisco Giants ace has a new distinction among power-hitting pitchers: First to hit two home runs on Opening Day.

Bumgarner clubbed a pair of solo home runs in Sunday's 6-5 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks to become the first pitcher in baseball history with two on Opening Day.

Bumgarner hit a towering drive off D'backs starter Zack Greinke in the fifth inning. The solo home run helped San Francisco take a 3-0 lead after the top of the sixth.

According to Statcast, it was the hardest home run hit by a pitcher — at 112.5 mph exit velocity — recorded since the technology debuted in 2014. Bumgarner also has the second- and third-hardest homers by a pitcher.

He crushed another one to left off lefty Andrew Chafin in the seventh inning for his 16th career blast. Bumgarner now leads all active pitchers with his 16 home runs, and his rate is going up — he hit three last season and five in 2015.

This is the second consecutive season Bumgarner has started the year with a home run in the first week. Last year, Bumgarner launched a solo home run off of fellow Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw to help the Giants beat the rival Dodger 3-1 in extra innings on April 9.

From the mound, Bumgarner was perfect — with seven strikeouts — through 5⅓ innings until Arizona broke through for three runs in the sixth to tie the game. Bumgarner's seventh-inning home run put the Giants back ahead 4-3, but they blew that one-run lead and another and lost 6-5.[typical way for the Giants to lose...another defeat clutched from the jaws of victory... ]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/m ... /99960468/

[Long Run]

And he got no run support in his next good appearance and they lost. Could be a long year.

[dales]

Well LJ, with all the excitement of living in the Bay Area.......this just kinda slipped by me.