Major League Baseball

Giants will let Bumgarner hit for himself in AL park

Published Jun. 30, 2016 9:56 a.m. ET

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Madison Bumgarner will get to hit for himself - even in an American League park.

San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy says he plans to use his slugging pitcher instead of a designated hitter Thursday night when the Giants visit the Oakland Athletics.

It will be the first time a team intentionally used a pitcher to hit instead of a DH since the Chicago White Sox allowed Ken Brett to do it in 1976 - the Rays were forced to bat pitcher Andy Sonnanstine in 2009 because of a lineup card mixup.

Bumgarner is batting .175 this season with two homers and five RBIs in 40 at-bats. He has nine homers in 183 at-bats the past three seasons, a rate that would lead to about 36 home runs if he had a full season as a hitter. Bumgarner has even made a public plea to enter into the All-Star Home Run Derby.

Bochy says he made the decision because the right-handed hitting Bumgarner is a dangerous hitter and the A's are starting lefty Dillon Overton.

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