Madison Bumgarner put on a show in what could have been his last start for the Giants at Oracle Park on Thursday night. With the July 31 trade deadline nearing, MadBum tossed 9 innings of one-run ball on only 94 pitches.
The late-night, 16-inning showdown that ended in walk-off fashion at the hands of Donovan Solano was topped off with the big lefthander wanting more -- at least after the nine innings he pitched.
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SIGN UP HERE That grit and those six strikeouts across his dominant outing are why Bumgarner's trade value has been raised but the Giants may now be "pushing back," an exec told MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman
The way the Orange and Black have been playing as of late certainly helps raise that value, and the fact the team is hesitating on dealing their ace isn't surprising. The Giants have won 13 of their last 15 games and have brought so much excitement and anticipation to a fanbase who had justifiably lost hope.
It's been special to watch.
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[RELATED: MadBum beats back at trade rumors]
Reports have surfaced that a high-level scout from the Red Sox and talent evaluator from the Twins were in attendance watching MadBum face Noah Syndergaard and the Mets on Thursday. Boston may not have the prominent prospects to make such a trade happen for the ace, but they were more than likely taking a look at Will Smith who could make for a promising ROI.
There are less than two weeks until the deadline, and we're sure this will take plenty of other twists and turns until then.