San Francisco Giants 6, Houston Astros 3: A night of firsts for Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Belt
The Giants’ 16-game homeless streak at home ended Tuesday with the most unlikely of sluggers.
Madison Bumgarner belted his first career big-league home run in the third inning to snap the string.
It was his first home run since going deep on April 25, 2010 while playing for the Fresno Grizzlies at Portland’s PGE Park.
It was so long ago that PGE Park is no longer PGE Park, and the Portland Beavers are no longer the Portland Beavers.
Then in the eighth, Brandon Belt gave the Giants some breathing room by hitting his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that one-hopped off the arcade and into the bay (technically not a SplashHit; Belt has the last splash hit on Sept. 27 of last season).
So the last three home runs hit at AT&T Park by a Giants was that player’s first home run of the season: MadBum, Belt and Gregor Blanco. Um, not exactly Mays, McCovey and Cepeda.
But the real story Tuesday was another dandy from Bumgarner, who fanned 12 Astros before starting to wane in the eighth and getting pulled.
He finished with 2 runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks in 7 2/3 innings. He threw 98 pitches.
He’ll pitch next Sunday in Seattle against Felix Hernandez.
UP NEXT
Matt Cain takes the mound against J.A. Happ at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday. It’s the first of three lefties the Giants will face over the next three days.
More Splash Hits 