In an effort to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of their Bay Area rivals, the San Francisco Giants will buck 40 years of baseball tradition. Giants ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner will start Thursday against the Oakland A's at the Oakland Coliseum, and he will bat in place of a designated hitter. Bumgarner will become the first starting pitcher to bat intentionally in place of a designated hitter since Ken Brett did so twice for the Chicago White Sox in 1976.