Birthday gifts, or gifts in general, are very tricky. Unless spelled out in black and white, there is a degree of difficulty in attempting to find that perfect gift that will stand out amongst all others. On the 85th birthday of the great Willie Mays, the San Francisco Giants gave it their best shot at finding that perfect gift.
In front of a packed house which included the also great Metallica, the Giants rose from the abyss of embarrassment they found themselves sulking in after last night's game and back to the glorious land of the over-.500 winning percentage.
Despite a four-run second inning by the Colorado Rockies, fueled by a Joe Panik throwing error, the San Francisco ace pitched masterfully. Bumgarner struck out ten over seven and a third innings, three of which game against Carlos Gonzalez, two against Trevor Story, and one against Nolan Arenado.
Despite another big inning by an opposing team, the confidence of the San Francisco offense never waned, surging a comeback in the bottom of the inning behind Brandon Crawford's three-run home run, his fourth dinger of the season.
From a mental standpoint, Crawford's home run halted the Colorado momentum while giving Bumgarner the spark he needed to shut down the Rockies' from the second inning and on, as Big Country Bumgarner didn't allow a run for the rest of the night.
While the left-hander was on cruise control, the bats stayed alive, as Duffy and Belt knocked in a pair each in the fifth to put the Giants up by one, and Belt knocked another in the seventh as an insurance run.
Out of the bullpen, Cory Gearrin and Santiago Casilla protected the lead they were inherited, previewing the possible 8th and 9th inning combination that the Giants could lead on as the season wears on.
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