Offense Backs Bumgarner, Ace Picks up First Win of Second Half

After nearly a month of searching, the San Francisco Giants were at long last able to provide Madison Bumgarner with the run support for which he had so desperately searched.

On a pristine Saturday night at the always beautiful AT&T Park, the Giant bats backed Bumgarner by dropping six runs against the Baltimore Orioles, which was more than enough for another masterful Bumgarner outing.

A tough-luck loss in the San Francisco ace's last outing didn't deter him from churning out another performance that the Giants have become so accustomed to, pitching seven innings of shutout ball while striking eight and reducing the Orioles to three hits on route to recording his first win of the second half.

Baltimore threatened in the top of the sixth inning by loading the bases by way of a pair of walks and a double, but Bumgarner struck Oriole slugger Chris Davis to escape unscathed.

The win was the first one the Giants have secured with Bumgarner on the mound since the lefty struck out a career-high 14 batters against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the final Sunday Night Baseball before the All-Star Break.

Denard Span chipped into the offense with a pair of two-run singles in the bottom of the second and sixth, and Brandon Belt put the cherry on top with a towering two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh which landed in the right-field arcade.

Belt wouldn’t be denied of RBIs in a second straight Bumgarner start after Ben Revere of the Washington Nationals took away a potential game-winning two-run double from the All-Star first baseman, which would become the difference in that game.

San Francisco’s phenomenal rookie reliever Derek Law had another excellent relief outing, holding the Orioles scoreless in his one inning of work.

Law is fifth in FIP among all relievers in the majors at 1.91, only trailing Addison Reed, Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, and Dellin Betances.

Victories like tonight’s are signs that the Giants are finally starting to turn the tide after struggling for the entirety of the first full month of baseball in the second half.

In 26 games following the All-Star Break, the Giants have a 9-17 record, but the team has taken baby steps in reclaiming their title as one of baseball’s elite team, winning three of their last five.

A crucial part of that process starts with winning with Bumgarner on the mound.

The ace has only had two non-quality starts in the second half, including three starts of allowing only one or no runs against his opposition, but a lack or run productivity during those starts has kept the Giants out of the win column in those starts.

Belt and Span ensured that their ace would finally get a much-deserved win by racking the most runs Bumgarner has received in the second half.

San Francisco’s rallies in the bottom of the second and the bottom of the sixth were almost complete copies of one another.

In the bottom half of the second, Hunter Pence drew a leadoff walk, and Joe Panik hit a ground-rule double to left, setting the table for Span, who would drive in the two with a line drive single up the middle.

The Giants followed the same recipe in the bottom of the sixth, as Eduardo Núñez drew a walk, Panik hit another ground-rule double, albeit this one was to right-center; then Span cashed in again with another two-run single.

Belt cut out the middle man in the following inning when following a Ángel Pagán leadoff walk, he sent his home run into the right-field stands, giving San Francisco a six-run lead.

The Orioles mounted a little comeback in the top of the ninth, scoring two by way of a Ryan Flaherty two-run single, but it was a case of too little too late.

With the victory, the Giants kept their one-game lead over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

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