Giants face Padres fueled by Bumgarner's walkoff hit
SAN FRANCISCO -- The hero of Tuesday's win with the bat will be rewarded with two extra days off to rest his arm when the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres complete a three-game series on Wednesday night.
Madison Bumgarner delivered a game-winning, pinch-hit single in the bottom of the 12th inning on Tuesday night, recording the first walk-off hit of his career.
The single to left field through a drawn-in infield scored Gorkys Hernandez, who had led off the 12th with a triple.
The hit improved Bumgarner's career average as a pinch hitter to .400 (4-for-10). The RBI was his first in that role.
The RBI was the 58th of Bumgarner's career overall, 21 more than any other pitcher since he debuted for the Giants in 2009.
It wasn't the first time this season that Bumgarner was chiefly responsible for a Giants win over San Diego. He threw eight innings of shutout ball the only time he pitched against the Padres in a 3-0 win on June 21.
Nonetheless, the Giants have scratched Bumgarner from his scheduled start against San Diego on Wednesday in order for him to face the rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
Right-hander Casey Kelly (0-2, 2.89) will face the Padres instead.
The first-year Giant has gone up against the Padres twice in relief in his career, allowing just two hits and no runs in 3 1/3 innings without getting a decision. Both those appearances were for the Atlanta Braves in 2016.
Tuesday's dramatic win came a little more than 24 hours after the Giants made the first of what is expected to be a series of major moves before the start of the 2019 season on Monday, firing general manager Bobby Evans.
Hunter Pence, a free agent at season's end and high on the projected list of Giants castoffs, contributed two hits, including a home run, and scored three of the club's five runs in Tuesday's win.
Pence has taken advantage of increased playing time since the team dealt Andrew McCutchen to the New York Yankees last month, going 9-for-his-last-23 (.391) with one double, two homers and four RBIs in his last six games.
The 35-year-old, an inspirational leader in two of the Giants' three championships this decade, earned $18.5 million this season. His recent hot streak has raised his batting average to just .228.
Pence has gone just 3-for-14 (.214) in his career against right-hander Luis Perdomo (1-6, 7.56), the Padres' scheduled starter in Wednesday's series finale.
Perdomo will be making his first start since being recalled from the minors earlier this month. He hasn't faced the Giants this season but has gone head-to-head with them on nine occasions in the past, seven times as a starter, while compiling a 2-0 record and 3.80 ERA.
Tuesday's loss was the Padres' 11th in 18 meetings with the Giants this season and came despite out-hitting the hosts 12-9.
San Diego opened the series with a 5-0 win on Monday night.
