Bumgarner’s return spoiled by Giants bats
San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona D-backs 4-3
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner throws to San Francisco Giants’ Austin Slater during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
2020.09.05 – Evan Longoria and Darin Ruf launched back-to-back home runs in the second inning and the Giants spoiled Madison Bumgarner’s return to San Francisco with a 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.
Bumgarner (0-4) came off the injured list to make his first start in nearly a month after recovering from a mid-back strain. The left-hander allowed two earned runs on three hits in four innings, striking out two and walking a pair in his first-ever appearance against his former team.
“I can find a lot of positive stuff about it for me,” Bumgarner said. “I feel pretty good about it, where we’re at. I made more than one mistake, but there’s one that cost me, to Longoria, I threw it about where I wanted to do. I was debating whether to throw that cutter up and in or down and in. Obviously now looking back I should have gone with the down and in option.”
Added Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo: “I thought he had a good mixture of pitches, maybe missed a couple of them, and you give up a couple of solo home runs. That’s part of the game. But I think we’re going to see him build off what he did today.”
Bumgarner spent his first 11 seasons with the Giants, winning three championships and the 2014 World Series MVP. His 119 wins are third-most in San Francisco history and his 1,794 strikeouts rank second. He signed an $85 million, five-year contract with the Diamondbacks during the offseason.
“It felt good just to be back in a big league game, even as different as it is this year,” Bumgarner noted. “But I was just excited to be back out there and see the stuff starting to pick up a little bit for me, even if it’s marginal. But we’re trending in the right direction, I guess, with the stuff and the way I felt, making pitches. So I was pretty happy about it.”
2020.09.05 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks) See video
2020.09.05 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks) See video
Giants starter Trevor Cahill, who pitched for Arizona from 2012-14, only lasted 2 2/3 innings, giving up one earned run on two hits and two walks. The right-hander exited his last start with left hip discomfort, but his MRI the following morning came back clean.
“We were going to monitor his hip closely during that outing,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler explained. “We knew that it was going to be a shorter outing. We didn’t necessarily anticipate it being that short, but he wasn’t especially crisp and looked a little bit more like the version of Trevor Cahill later in his last start. He’s OK. He came out fine. We don’t have health concerns about it.”
Longoria and Ruf connected for the Giants’ first set of consecutive homers this year. Joey Bart and Mauricio Dubón added consecutive RBI triples in the sixth to give San Francisco a 4-1 lead.
Daulton Varsho hit his first career home run, sending a drive into McCovey Cove in the seventh to bring the Diamondbacks within 4-2. Arizona climbed within one in the eighth when Eduardo Escobar singled home Ketel Marte, but Sam Selman struck out Josh Rojas to strand two runners in the eighth.
Caleb Baragar (4-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and was credited with the win. Tony Watson, the eighth Giants pitcher, recorded a perfect ninth inning to earn his first save since 2017.
“Certainly every game is really big at this point,” Kapler said. “We’ll start to treat them with that level of urgency. I think you’re just seeing us manage games a little bit more aggressively right now.”
San Francisco improved to 6-2 against the Diamondbacks this season, outscoring them 39-23.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: LHP Caleb Smith (COVID-19) was scheduled to throw in an alternate training camp game Saturday but experienced some mid-body soreness. “We decided to kind of back him out and evaluate him day-to-day,” Lovullo said. “It’s not a huge setback for us right now. I think in the next couple of days we’ll make the decision at the alt site when he jumps back in there and has that outing. Just being cautious right now with somebody we feel like is very important to us.”
Giants: OF Austin Slater (strained left groin and flexor strain in right elbow) was reinstated from the 10-day IL and served as the designated hitter, going 0 for 5 in the leadoff spot. He is not yet available to play in the outfield due to the elbow soreness. “We’ll keep looking at that day-to-day,” Kapler said. “It’s improving and getting better every single day, but we’re going to wait for that final green light where we know he’s going to be safe.” … RHP Jeff Samardzija (inflammation in right shoulder) and LHP Drew Smyly (sprained left index finger) each threw approximately 50 pitches in three-inning simulated games. Both threw all of their pitches and came out feeling healthy. The Giants will determine their next step in the coming days.
ROSTER MOVES
Diamondbacks: Optioned INF Andy Young to their Scottsdale alternate site to make room for Bumgarner on the active roster.
Giants: Optioned OF Steven Duggar to their Sacramento alternate site to clear a roster spot for Slater.
UP NEXT
RHP Johnny Cueto (2-0, 4.75 ERA) will make his second straight start against Arizona. He allowed just one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings last time out, striking out six. LHP Alex Young (1-2, 4.50 ERA) will face the Giants for the fourth time in his career. He went 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA in three starts against San Francisco last season.
RELATED: See 2020.09.06 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona D-backs)
RELATED: See below 2020.09.04 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona D-backs)
Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco Giants, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
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Marte 4 hits as Diamondbacks end 5-game skid, top Giants 6-5
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte heads for the dugout after hitting a home run off San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tyler Anderson in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in San Francisco. Giants catcher Joey Bart, left, looks on. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
2020.09.04 – Ketel Marte homered, doubled twice and singled as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on Friday night to snap a five-game losing streak.
Marte went deep in the first inning off Giants lefty Tyler Anderson. The Diamondbacks escaped a late jam and ended an eight-game losing streak on the road.
“I just try to put good swings on the ball and try to make things happen,” Marte said. “What can I say? I feel healthy and strong. Everyone knows the kind of player I am.”
Nick Ahmed had three hits for the Diamondbacks and rookie catcher Daulton Varsho drove in two runs.
Arizona took a 6-3 lead in the fifth. Down by a run in the eighth, the Giants loaded the bases with no outs.
Alex Dickerson flied out to shallow right and Mauricio Dubon wandered too far off second base and was doubled off to squelch the rally.
2020.09.05 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks) See video
2020.09.05 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks) See video
“My mistake was I ran with my head down,” Dubon said. “That can’t happen. An inning like that, and how we’ve been swinging the bats, I just have to run with my head up.”
Kevin Ginkel closed in the ninth for his first save.
San Francisco, playing the opener of a six-game homestand and competing for a playoff spot, went just 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position.
Travis Bergen (1-0), who pitched out of trouble in the fourth after relieving Arizona starter Taylor Clarke, was credited with the victory.
Six Diamondbacks relievers combined to throw six innings and hold the Giants to two runs.
“The bullpen giving up two runs over six innings was one of the big reasons we won the game,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We (also) banged the baseball around today, and that was nice to see.”
Anderson (1-3) was charged with four runs over four innings.
Giants first baseman Brandon Belt continued his torrid streak at the plate. He homered and doubled and is now hitting .500 (26 for 52) over his past 16 games.
MADBUM RETURNS
Madison Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP with the Giants, can’t help but reflect a bit as he returns to Oracle Park to face his former team for the first time Saturday night.
“Just like anything else, I spent the last 10 years here so you don’t just forget about it. You think about it,” Bumgarner said. “If I see the guys playing, watching different ballgames, or when we’re playing the Giants, you can’t help but reminisce a little bit.”
When Arizona visited the Bay Area last month, Bumgarner remained in Phoenix rehabbing a mid-back strain. He will come off the injured list to make his first appearance since Aug. 9.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Left-hander Caleb Smith (COVID-19), acquired from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline, is scheduled to throw Saturday in an alternate training site game at Chase Field.
Giants: LHP Drew Smyly (sprained left index finger) and RHP Jeff Samardzija (inflammation in pitching shoulder) are set to throw three innings each in simulated games Saturday … OF Austin Slater is close to returning as he continues to at the club’s Sacramento alternate site while recovering from a strained left groin and a flexor strain in his right elbow.
UP NEXT
Bumgarner (0-3, 9.35 ERA) will come off the injured list to make his first appearance against his former club. Trevor Cahill (0-0, 2.51 ERA) will face the D-backs for his third straight start. He has pitched five or more innings just once in his initial four starts.
RELATED: See 2020.09.06 (San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona D-backs)
Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco Giants, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
49ERS FIT – FREE 4-DAY PASS
EMI Sports Central – EMI Sports Bay Area: Join the conversation on sports news for SF Bay Area teams: Follow @EMIsports on Twitter, “Like” us on Facebook and sign up for our FREE email newsletters.