It’s not supposed to be this easy.
Madison Bumgarner was just 21 years old when he shut out the Rangers over eight innings in Game 4 of the World Series back in 2010. He’s still dominating in the Fall Classic now at a still-young 25 years of age and has the Giants one win away from their third title in five years.
Bumgarner was simply electric in Sunday’s Game 5 victory over the Royals, pitching a four-hit shutout that included eight strikeouts and zero walks. The left-hander seemed to get better as the game went along even though he threw 117 pitches, as he retired the final nine batters he faced and 14 of the final 15.
The Giants’ offense also deserves some credit, of course. After exploding for 16 hits and 11 runs in their Game 4 win, they compiled 12 base knocks and five runs in Sunday’s triumph. Hunter Pence was again in the middle of everything with two hits and two runs scored, Brandon Crawford drove in three of the five tallies and http://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/MLB/4745/Juan-PerezJuan Perez smacked an improbable two-run double off the top of the wall versus the previously invincible Wade Davis.
But let’s get back to Bumgarner, the man they (unfortunately) refer to as “MadBum.” He’s done things in the World Series that, quite literally, have never been done before. In 31 career World Series innings, Bumgarner has surrendered one run on just 12 hits while boasting a 27/5 K/BB ratio. His 0.29 ERA is the lowest ever for a pitcher with at least 30 frames in the Fall Classic. And it’s not like he’s just been brilliant in the World Series, it’s been the entire 2014 postseason and his whole postseason career. The left-hander holds a 1.13 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 41/6 K/BB ratio over 46 2/3 innings during the 2014 playoffs, and he has a 2.27 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 73/15 K/BB ratio across 83 1/3 frames in his postseason career. Remarkable.
San Francisco takes a 3-2 series edge back to Kansas City, where play will resume Tuesday night. But while the Giants have the leg up now, history says the Royals might be the favorite. In the last 16 times the World Series has lasted at least six games, the home team has won 15 of those series. Of course, the Giants’ World Series-clinching games in 2010 and 2012 both came on the road. It will be Jake Peavy versus Yordano Ventura in Game 6, with Tim Hudson and Jeremy Guthrie on tap for a potential Game 7.
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Taveras Killed in Car Accident
Shortly after Sunday’s World Series Game 5 began, some awful news broke that has shaken the Cardinals and the baseball world. Oscar Taveras, 22, lost his life in an automobile accident in his native Dominican Republic. His girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo, 18, was also killed.
It’s a simply tragic situation anytime someone so young passes, and it’s also a shame that we’ll never get to see how good of a player Taveras would become. The outfielder has universally been considered one of the best prospects in the game the last few years.
Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and general manager John Mozeliak had some words on Taveras in a team release Sunday.
“We are all stunned and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of the youngest members of the Cardinals family,” Dewitt said. “Oscar was an amazing talent with a bright future who was taken from us well before his time. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends tonight.”
“I simply can’t believe it,” Mozeliak said. “I first met Oscar when he was (16 years old) and will forever remember him as a wonderful young man who was a gifted athlete with an infectious love for life who lived every day to the fullest.”
Manager Mike Matheny admitted to being too distraught Sunday to put together a statement regarding Taveras’ passing, but he issued some heartfelt comments Monday on his way to the memorial in the Dominican Republic.
Various Cardinals players, players from other clubs and media also sent out their sympathies via social media.
We at Rotoworld offer our condolences to the Taveras and Arvelo families in their time of grief.
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