San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner found himself in familiar territory on Sunday not just on the mound at Oracle Park, but in the middle of another heated moment after a big fly into Mc Covey Cove.
The tension flared in the first inning when Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Max Muncy crushed a Bumgarner pitch into the bay, giving the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. As Muncy admired the trajectory of his shot, Bumgarner began barking at him to “run the bases,” visibly frustrated by the perceived showboating.
Rather than escalating the spat, Muncy had the perfect retort, telling reporters after the game, If he doesn’t want me to watch the ball, he can go get it out of the ocean.The quote quickly went viral, adding fuel to one of baseball’s most storied rivalries.
This isn’t the first time Bumgarner has shown his old-school fire when it comes to players celebrating home runs. Known for his fierce competitiveness and no-nonsense demeanor, he’s previously clashed with other hitters for bat flips and stares. Sunday’s incident was another reminder that even in the modern era of baseball flash, Bumgarner remains a throwback to grittier, unwritten rules.
Despite the fireworks, the Giants couldn’t rally behind their ace, ultimately falling to the Dodgers. The loss was tough, but the buzz around Bumgarner’s latest blow-up kept the game on everyone’s radar.
With the Dodgers-Giants rivalry as heated as ever and personalities like Bumgarner and Muncy not backing down, baseball fans can expect more drama the next time these teams square off and maybe another splash hit to stir the pot.