SAN FRANCISCO – Madison Bumgarner has been playing for the Giants since he was 19-years-old. A decade later, the Giants’ ace has won three World Series rings and a World Series MVP.
Last week, Bumgarner had one of the toughest starts of his career against the Oakland A’s. He walked a career-high six batters and snapped an 89-game streak of pitching at least five innings July 21. But on Friday night, Bumgarner returned to his old self and allowed three runs in eight innings of work against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Giants failed to support their starter on offense, as Bumgarner found himself the losing pitcher in the 3-1 loss.
With the July 31 trade deadline looming, Bumgarner says he remains unphased by trade rumors and the ups-and-downs of the season.
“I try to keep it simple and just worry about what I can control,” Bumgarner said. “And that’s just baseball. That stuff, you have to just push it aside. There’s nothing we can do about it except show up and win.”
Bumgarner himself has been in the MLB Rumor Mill, as many see him as the best trade bait the San Francisco Giants currently hold. When Bumgarner was asked if it’s easy for him to ignore trade rumors and stay focused, he said simply, “Yeah.”
Manager Bruce Bochy echoed the same sentiment.
“I don’t think about that,” Bochy said. “I don’t think about things. Those are things you can’t control right now. We’re in a position where if we get this thing going, we can get right back in it. I know it’s been a tough go here since the All-Star break, but you still have to believe that you are going to get it going.”
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