A serving of Bumgarner, then barbecue?
Updated 12:35 am, Sunday, October 26, 2014
Barbecue.
Sliced beef brisket, baby back ribs, beef burnt ends, pork spare ribs, smoked turkey - delicacies even a certain panda has to love this time of year.
The Giants will have their choice because there will be a Game 6. There will be another charter flight to Kansas City. There will be more baseball at Kauffman Stadium.
That was assured Saturday with the Giants' electrifying 11-4 victory, eliminating any chance the Royals could celebrate a World Series championship in San Francisco and setting up the possibility the Giants could win it all on the road for the third time in five years.
So how does that Madison Bumgarner decision look now?
Quite good, in fact. Bumgarner was kept on regular rest by manager Bruce Bochy, who refused to use his ace on short rest in Game 4, which would have made him available to start Game 7, also on short rest. Bochy stuck with Vogelsong for Game 4.
'We had to win this game no matter what,' Vogelsong said. 'We needed to tie this series up and get the ball to Madison. We all know what he's done so far this postseason, so it'll be exciting to see what he brings for us tomorrow.'
Vogelsong failed to complete three innings, but the offense finally came alive to turn a three-run deficit into a seven-run victory, Pablo Sandoval 's tie-breaking two-run single in the sixth highlighting the charge. Without the comeback, the Giants would have played an elimination game on Sunday, their 2014 home finale, and the Royals could have finished it off with a win in Game 5, Game 6 or Game 7.
In other words, Giants fans might have had to kiss the World Series goodbye.
No more. Now Bumgarner has a chance to put the Giants ahead three games to two and create gobs of momentum heading back to Kansas City. Bochy said Jake Peavy will start Game 6 on Tuesday and, if needed, Tim Hudson in Game 7 on Wednesday.
'The fact he's had his normal rest,' Bochy said of Bumgarner after Saturday's game, 'I feel a lot better, to be honest.'
What about Bumgarner coming back for a cameo in Game 7? Two days' rest, sure. But he can rest more in November. And December and January. Asked about his availability for a seventh game, Bumgarner said, 'I'm always available.'
Remember Randy Johnson? In the 2001 World Series, he threw a three-hit shutout in Game 2 (110 pitches), worked seven innings in a Game 6 victory (104 pitches) and pitched 11/3 innings in relief on zero days' rest to win Game 7 (17 pitches).
That October, the Big Unit went 5-1 with a 1.52 ERA, tossing 411/3 innings and 587 pitches.
This October, the Somewhat Smaller Unit is 3-1 with a 1.40 ERA - 382/3 innings, 517 pitches.
'He's a guy who's going to come up and say he's available. That's Madison,' Bochy said. 'He's a big, strong guy. Even earlier, he told me that after a day or two off, 'Hey, I can help you in the bullpen if you need it,' and I think he could.'
He's not the only one to volunteer.
'I'm going to be the first one in (Bochy's) office tomorrow telling him I want to be in the bullpen the rest of the way,' Vogelsong said. 'You've got two games you've got to win. You've got to win (Sunday) and another one after that. It's all hands on deck.'
Vogelsong threw 62 pitches.
'I'm fine,' Vogelsong said. 'I don't care if I threw 100, I'd tell him I'd be good for the next two days.'
As the Giants were wrapping up Saturday's win, their travel department was planning a return trip to Kansas City. A team official will be dispatched early Sunday to help oversee hotel rooms for a party of 500, including players, staff, scouts, owners, sponsors, broadcast teams and a bunch of family members.
The Giants will fly out Monday, staying consistent with departing on off days instead of at night after games, theoretically making it easier on the body clock.
Either way, there will be plenty of time to dine at Arthur Bryant 's, Gates, Jack Stack, Oklahoma Joe's or any other barbecue house, and that was made possible when the Giants evened the series. With Bumgarner pitching Game 5, the momentum shift was felt from here to Kauffman Stadium.
John Shea is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jshea@sfchronicle.com. Twitter @JohnSheaHey.
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