Madison Bumgarner turned back the clock on Wednesday, Sept.21, giving up one run on one hit over six innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks finished off a 6–1 victory over the host Los Angeles Dodgers.
In his 40th career start against the Dodgers, Bumgarner earned the win over his longtime National League West nemesis for the first time since 2017, going winless over a stretch of 12 prior starts. He walked one with five strikeouts.
There was little to indicate a dominating outing was ahead, not after Bumgarner (7–15) gave up five runs in seven of his previous nine starts and had a 7.82 ERA during that stretch.
In two previous starts against the Dodgers this season, he was 0–2 with a 6.55 ERA.
Mookie Betts hit a home run for the Dodgers’ only hit against Bumgarner. Los Angeles lost consecutive games against Arizona after winning 20 of the previous 21 against the D-backs at home.
The Dodgers’ Trea Turner had an infield single in the ninth inning to extend his hitting streak to 18 games but Los Angeles dropped consecutive games for the first time since a three-game losing streak from Aug. 31-Sept. 2.
The victory was the D-backs’ fifth in 18 games against the Dodgers this season, with the last meeting between the teams scheduled for Thursday.
Christian Walker drove in the first two runs of the game for Arizona (70–80), collecting RBI singles in the first and third innings. The D-backs pushed the advantage to 5–0 in the fourth inning on a three-run double from Corbin Carroll.
Betts’ home run against Bumgarner came in the fourth on a drive to center, his 35th of the season.
Arizona relievers Kevin Ginkel, Ian Kennedy and Mark Melancon finished off the victory with one inning each.
Dodgers starter Dustin May (2–3) gave up five runs on seven hits over four innings with two walks and four strikeouts. It was the right-hander’s sixth start since returning from Tommy John surgery.
At 103–46, the Dodgers remain three victories away from matching the club record for a single season.
