Why not start Madison Bumgarner and see if he can pull a Sandy Koufax?

This has been some postseason for the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner. Record stuff, really. So good you now have to wonder if he can take it to that sacred level:

Sandy Koufax in the 1965 World Series.

That was the Series when Koufax chose not to pitch in the opener because it was Yom Kippur, pitched Games 2 and 5 and then came back to start Game 7 on two days’ rest.

And shut out the Twins on a three-hitter to win the World Series.

Now Giants Manager Bruce Bochy is apparently going to start Tim Hudson on Wednesday night in Game 7 against the Royals and have Bumgarner in the bullpen, ready to come in the first moment Hudson runs into trouble.

Which seems like the wrong move. If Bochy has confidence that Bumgarner can pitch on two days’ rest, Bochy would be best served starting him and getting as much out of his ace as he can before then going to the bullpen.

Who knows how many pitches Bumgarner can throw?

“Maybe 200,” he said.

Koufax had thrown a career-high 335 2/3 innings in the 1965 regular season and 24 more in the postseason (the World Series was the only postseason then).

His arm was clearly tired, but he threw a complete game. He couldn’t control his curve well, so he pitched almost the entire game just using his fastball. And allowed only three hits and three walks.

Dodgers Manager Walter Alston started Koufax over fellow Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, whose regular turn would have come in Game 7. Alston said in the pregame meeting he would start Koufax, have Drysdale ready to relieve and Ron Perranoski available to close.

All he needed was Koufax, who gutted it out for his last postseason victory. Maybe that’s all Bochy will need too. First, though, it requires he start Bumgarner.