Bumgarner looks to erase memory of last start

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June 26, 2011
GIANTS PAGEGIANTSVIDEO

CLEVELAND (40-35) vs.
GIANTS (43-34)

(AP) -- San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy is hardly alarmed by Madison Bumgarner's one horrendous inning in his last outing.Fausto Carmona has had a few of those this season, but Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta hasn't lost faith in his opening-day starter.Bumgarner will try to pitch the Giants to their fifth straight win Sunday night in the conclusion of their series with the visiting Indians.After posting a 2.03 ERA in his previous 10 starts, Bumgarner (3-9, 4.06 ERA) lasted one-third of an inning in a 9-2 loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. The Twins matched a major league record by opening with eight consecutive hits, and Bumgarner gave up eight runs and nine hits in the shortest start of his career.
REWIND: Bumgarner historically bad, Giants fall to Twins
"It was pretty pathetic of me trying to execute pitches," he told the Giants' official website. "Everything was in the middle of the plate and up. They did what they were supposed to do. They're supposed to hit that pitch and they did. Obviously, it was terrible pitch execution."Bochy was anything but concerned about his 21-year-old left-hander, and was surprised when asked if he would consider replacing Bumgarner in the rotation with Barry Zito, who threw a two-hit shutout for Triple-A Fresno in a rehab outing the same day. Bumgarner has one of the lowest run-support averages in the NL at 2.77."There's no way I'd give him a rest after today. Come on," Bochy said on the Giants' official website. "This kid has been throwing too well. It's an off day, that's what it is."Acta can't say the same about Carmona (4-9, 5.98), who is 1-6 with a 9.24 ERA in his last seven starts. He gave up seven runs in 4 2-3 innings of an 8-7 loss to Colorado on Monday, with six of those runs crossing in the fifth.Big innings have been a problem for the right-hander, with 24 of the 38 runs he's allowed in his last seven outings coming in five innings. Carmona, though, will likely keep getting the ball every fifth day for the Indians (40-25)."It's not as easy as it looks. This is not fantasy baseball," Acta told the Indians' official website. "You can't just get rid of him and bring somebody else over here. He's one of our guys. He's got good stuff."Carmona will face a Giants team that has totaled 12 runs during its four-game winning streak. San Francisco (43-34), though, has posted a major league-best 17 one-run home wins including a 1-0 victory Saturday, when the only run scored off a Tony Sipp balk in the seventh.
REWIND: Giants score on two errors and a balk to win 1-0"We've had some weird ways to win," closer Brian Wilson said after recording his 23rd save."That one's definitely up there."
The Giants, trying to win five in a row for the third time this season and first time since May 18-22, go for the three-game sweep after losing all three to Cleveland in its first visit to San Francisco from June 10-12, 2005.The Indians are trying to avoid getting swept in a three-game road series for the first time this season.

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