World Series MVP Goes Yard

With former Giants pitching great Juan Marichal on hand, World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner pitched a gem of a complete game and showed off his batting prowess with a Home Run smash, his fourth of the season.

The Giants went on to win the game 5-0, sweeping the visiting Washington Nationals in four games.  The San Francisco Giants remain 2.5 games back of the NL West leading dodgers.

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Madison Bumgarner homers, tosses 14-strikeout shutout against the Nationals

Bill Baer

Aug 16, 2015, 6:55 PM EDT

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Madison Bumgarner

Madison Bumgarner was the star of Sunday’s win against the Nationals, going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI double and a solo home run while tossing a 14-strikeout, three-hit shutout. It’s a performance reminiscent of Rick Wise’s two-homer day while tossing a no-hitter against the Reds on June 23, 1971.

Bumgarner now has four home runs on the season. He’s the first pitcher with at least four home runs in a season since… Madison Bumgarner in 2014. Yovani Gallardo also accomplished the feat in 2010 when he hit four for the Brewers. Bumgarner still has 10 starts remaining, so he could tack on. The last pitcher to hit more than four homers in a year was Carlos Zambrano in 2006 when he hit six over the fence.

Bumgarner has 10 career home runs. He’s the 57th pitcher since 1901 to hit at least 10 home runs in a career. He has some work left to do if he wants to catch up to Zambrano’s 34, however.

On the mound, Bumgarner is 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 174/27 K/BB ratio in 163 1/3 innings.