Bumgarner's best

For six and one-third innings Thursday night, Madison Bumgarner was back in high school.

Fastballs whizzed past flailing bats, sliders swerved around hapless hitters and South Caldwell fans lined the stands. Only this time the stakes were different.

Bumgarner made his homecoming a sweet one, turning in the best performance of his young professional career as the Single-A Augusta Greenjackets downed the Hickory Crawdads 4-2 in Hickory. Bumgarner didn't allow an earned run and surrendered only two hits in his first North Carolina appearance since carrying the high-school Spartans to the state championship last June.

“It was good to be back home in front of a crowd like this,” Bumgarner said. “I was glad to be able to come out and win and do as good as I did.”

Bumgarner, the No. 10 overall selection in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft by the San Francisco Giants, came out firing on all cylinders. He struck out five of the first seven batters he faced, including the first two of the game on six pitches.

“I just went back to pitching the way I used to,” Bumgarner said.

By the time the night was through, the 4,805 people in attendance - mostly on hand to see the hometown hero - got their money's worth. Bumgarner carried a perfect game into the fourth inning, an event only lost when Jose De Los Santos legged out an infield single to shortstop. The play was originally ruled an error by the official scorekeeper, but was changed after the game upon further consideration. De Los Santos later came around to score the unearned run on a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly.

The only other hit Bumgarner allowed was another of the infield variety. Augusta shortstop Ramon Corona fielded a ground ball behind second base in the bottom of the fifth, and sent a spinning throw wide of the first-base bag to allow Hickory's Marcus Davis aboard. Once again, the scorekeeper ruled the borderline play a base hit.

Still, nothing could spoil Bumgarner's night. Augusta manager Andy Skeels, for one, was legitimately impressed.

“(Bumgarner) was excellent, in command from the beginning to the end,” he said. “He looked like a Major League pitcher tonight. And it's certainly something that the San Francisco Giants are very excited about.”

Bumgarner entered the game with a pitch limit of 75, and thanks to his efficiency, was able to pitch into the seventh inning. He never used more than 15 pitches in an inning, and didn't face a single three-ball count until the bottom of the sixth. Skeels let Bumgarner face one batter in the bottom of the seventh, and L.P. Frans Stadium's largest crowd of the year treated the lefthander to a standing ovation as he exited.

“It was awesome,” Bumgarner said. “I couldn't believe it. It was definitely a blessing, and it was just awesome to be pitching here.”

Bumgarner improved his record to 2-2 and lowered his season earned run average to 5.00. He faced only two batters above the minimum in his outing.

Hickory manager Gary Green also lavished praise on the night's main attraction.

“The kid throws the ball around the plate, you've got to give him credit,” Green said. “At 18 or 19 years old, it's impressive.”

Bumgarner signed autographs for nearly 45 minutes after the game's completion.

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