Bum outlasts Thor in epic pitchers’ duel

NEW YORK — Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was asked for any advice he might have for Mets counterpart Terry Collins when it became apparent the Mets most likely were going to face Madison Bumgarner and the Giants in the National League Wild Card Game.

“Like a friend from Wyoming told me, ‘It’s like a bull rider drawing a bad bull,'” said Hurdle, whose team was knocked out at home in the 2014 NL Wild Card Game by Bumgarner and the Giants. “Some guys draw Wildflower and some guys get Widowmaker. That night, the way it worked out, we got Widowmaker.”

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Now, Collins knows the feeling. Collins had a darn good hand of his own taking the mound for the Mets in the win-or-go-home matchup at Citi Field on Wednesday night, and for seven innings, Noah Syndergaard matched Bumgarner zero for zero in one of the most riveting pitchers’ duels in postseason history.

Syndergaard, however, paid the price for a high pitch count early, and he departed after seven innings in a scoreless game while Bumgarner was still going strong, winding up with a 3-0 victory thanks to Conor Gillaspie’s home run off Jeurys Familia in the top of the ninth.

“This is one of the best postseason games I’ve been a part of,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. “Great pitching. … Bum just did his thing.”

Great pitching? Just about as good as it can get.

Two pitchers locked in a shutout for seven innings in the postseason? It has happened only once in a win-or-go-home postseason game — Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. That’s the one where Braves right-hander John Smoltz exited after 7 1/3 shutout innings, then sat in the dugout to see counterpart Jack Morris hang around 10 innings and walk out of the Metrodome with a 1-0 victory and a World Series championship for the Twins.

Smoltz gave up six hits and walked a batter in his effort, and Morris gave …

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