Congratulations to NC State alum, Eric Surkamp who got called up to the Major Leagues this week and made a STELLAR debut!
Link to San Francisco Chronicle.
— It’s a little premature to get caught up in Surkamp-mania and suggest we’re seeing the next Madison Bumgarner. Eric Surkamp is two years older. And four years older than Bumgarner was on Sept. 6, 2009, when Bumgarner debuted as a highly touted 20-year-old.
Still, the Giants were absolutely thrilled with Surkamp’s performance Saturday night. Yes, he had first-game jitters. Yes, his second pitch made a few fans behind the backstop flinch. But the lefty (yielding one run on six hits and three walks) had a 1.50 ERA to show for his first six innings in the big leagues.
Four innings after his exit, the Giants pulled out a 2-1 victory over the Astros – their third by that score in four days – and Surkamp was among the Giants to flood the field after Jeff Keppinger’s single to right-center scored Mark DeRosa, keeping the Giants three games back in the National League West.
“You dream about this your whole life, and it comes true. Amazing,” said Surkamp, who had a locker full of souvenirs, including the baseballs from his first pitch, first strikeout and the walk he drew. “Being able to dog-pile on the field in your first game, it doesn’t get much better than that.”
[snip]
“What a great job. For the kid to come up from Double-A and do what he did shows he’s got a lot of Bumgarner” in him, DeRosa said. “He trusts his stuff and knows he has pitches to get outs. It’s a lot to ask.”
Manager Bruce Bochy hinted Surkamp could stick in the rotation. Even if he does, he might not pitch again until Sept. 6 in San Diego. His turn could be skipped because of an off day on Thursday and the opportunity for Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong to face the Diamondbacks next weekend.
To create a roster spot for Surkamp, the Giants placed outfielder Nate Schierholtz on the disabled list with a fracture in his right foot. Bochy said it’s possible Schierholtz could be activated when eligible on Sept. 6. To make room on the 40-man roster, Double-A pitcher Clayton Tanner was designated for assignment.
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