Giants will let Bumgarner hit for himself in AL park

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.