SCOTTSDALE - As he watched a rebuilt roster take batting practice the other day, Brian Sabean marveled at the way the air went out of the balloon so quickly in the first month of the 2017 season. Sabean constantly ran the numbers on what kind of winning streak his club would have to put together to get back into contention, and before the weather fully warmed, the math was overwhelming.
There's a reason so many players and coaches have talked this spring of the importance of starting fast. You can't win the division in April or May, but in a good division, you can certainly lose any hope of a playoff spot. The Giants added Andrew McCutchen, Evan Longoria, Austin Jackson and Tony Watson in hopes of turning this all around, but there's another card they can play.
Because they have two off days before the seventh game of the season, the Giants could manipulate their rotation to maximize Madison Bumgarner. The lefty already will start on Opening Day in Los Angeles - speaking of starting fast, beating Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium sure would qualify - and he could start the home opener on regular rest because the Giants are off the day after playing four against the Dodgers. With another off day after two against the Mariners, Bumgarner could come back and face the Dodgers again on April 8 at AT&T Park.
You want to start fast? How ‘bout starting Madison Bumgarner in three of your first nine games?
It's a concept that is being tossed around in meetings, and at the very least it seems likely that Bumgarner will start the season opener and home opener. Starters usually ease into April, but Bumgarner said he's up for the challenge if that's what the staff decides to do.
"Yeah. Yeah. I don't think that's really being pushed," he said. "It's normal rest. That's not being pushed."
Bumgarner went at least six innings in all four of his April starts last year before a dirt bike accident stalled his season. On Opening Day, he threw seven strong innings against the Diamondbacks and hit two homers. He said he understands why teammates are focused on starting fast after a 98-loss season, but it's not something that will become his motto.
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"If we start a little slow, that's not going to determine the season," he said. "I don't want to get stuck in the that thought that if we start slow we're out of it, because we're not."
The start of Bumgarner's spring was neither fast nor slow. He gave up a wind-aided leadoff homer to Ian Happ and allowed four hits in 1 2/3 innings against the Cubs. On the other hand, all five of his outs were strikeouts.
"I felt good physically and that's really all I'm looking for," he said.
That's all that matters at this point, and if nothing changes over the next month, that could line Bumgarner up to carry a heavy load in the first two weeks of the season.
