It’s unclear whether Madison Bumgarner pitched his final home game as a San Francisco Giant in front of the home crowd at Oracle Park Thursday night. The fanbase treated it as such and the pitcher in turn treated the crowd to a throwback performance.
Bumgarner, whose name has been thrown around the MLB trade rumor mill for the entire 2019 season, with the Yankees as a persistent name among his suitors, turned back the clock against the Mets. He allowed just one run, five hits and a walk over nine innings in an eventual 3-2 win over New York.
Does he think this type of performance, combined with the way the Giants have been playing as of late — winners of six straight and 13 out of their last 15 — keeps his spot in San Francisco safe through a trade deadline that is quickly approaching?
“I don’t give a s—,” he said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “I’m here to win games for this team, and that’s what we’re doing.”
As he walked off the mound for perhaps the final time as a Giant at Oracle Park, he received a standing ovation. The 36,852 fans in the crowd certainly feel they were saying goodbye to a franchise legend, but Bumgarner said he hasn’t taken a step back to think about the moment and the circumstances surrounding it.
“I’m trying to win games for the Giants,” he said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re trying to make it to the postseason. We’re making a push, we’re coming.”
The MLB trade deadline is on Wednesday, July 31.
Bumgarner, 29, could easily give a team in a pennant chase a boost.
In 125 innings pitched this season, Bumgarner has logged a 3.65 ERA with 127 strikeouts on the way to a 5-7 record.
Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @briannnnf. Find NJ.com on Facebook.