Madison Bumgarner Follows Tim Alderson's Gem With Six Solid Innings

Drafted in the same round in the same draft, Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson's paths through San Francisco's minor league system were bound to be compared.

Both were named High-A All-Stars in 2008, with Bumgarner also earning the Minors Most Spectacular Pitcher and several other awards. Given their success in the lower minors, it was not surprising that both were called up to AA Connecticut in the same week.

While Bumgarner posted a 3-1 record with a 1.48 ERA in San Jose this season, Alderson allowed opponents to hit .292. Tim finished with a 1-1, 4.15 line. Nevertheless, the more pitcher-friendly confines of Connecticut's park seemed to have brought out the best in Alderson. In 6.2 innings, Alderson struck out ten, and did not allow a single hit. Alderson walked only one hitter.

Bumgarner was not perfect against New Britain, but displayed an ability to limit damage and eventually escape trouble. He allowed a single to the second hitter he faced, but then induced a pop-up before picking the runner off first. In the second inning, a lead-off single was erased by a double-play. And in the third, a two-out triple was followed by a grounder back to Bumgarner.

Connecticut scored two in the top of the fourth to give Bumgarner a small cushion, the only run support he received in his six innings of work (a change from the offensive steamroller of the single-A Giants and a preview of the big league Giants). But Bumgarner gave up back-to-back two-out doubles in the bottom of the inning, allowing his first AA run.

It appeared as if New Britain might ruin Bumgarner's debut when a double and a bunt single resulted in runners at first and third with none out in the fifth. But Bumgarner showed great composure, getting a double play on a line-out before notching his second strikeout of the evening.

After pitching a scoreless sixth, Bumgarner left leading two to one. A three-run eighth pushed the Connecticut margin to 5-1, ensuring the win for Madison.

Shortstop Brandon Crawford, a fourth-round pick in 2008, had three hits (including a double and a triple) in his second game at the AA level.

Connecticut catcher Adam Witter was recently promoted to AAA Fresno. While Witter was replaced by a catcher brought off of Connecticut's disabled list, could Buster Posey hear the call to AA soon?