Dose of Venom: Bumgarner, Giants shut down Diamondbacks in rubber match

The good news is the Arizona Diamondbacks game Sunday ended with plenty of time to catch the second half of the U.S.-Portugal World Cup matchup.

The bad news is the game ended with the home team scoring fewer times than the U.S.

The Diamondbacks dropped their second straight and 15th series overall, losing 4-1 to the San Francisco Giants in front of an announced crowd of 27,682 plus 313 dogs in what was the fourth annual Bark in the Park at Chase Field on Sunday.

Giants starter Madison Bumgarner limited the Diamondbacks to their lone run on a pair of hits in eight innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

“He was really good. Did we even hit a ball hard off of him?” Paul Goldschmidt asked. “He did a really good job. That was one of the better performances I’ve seen.”

Bumgarner (9-4) threw a first pitch strike to 20 of the 28 batters he faced.

“He was exceptional. That was maybe the best I’ve ever seen him,” manager Kirk Gibson said. “His cutter was excellent. He was throwing his fastball wherever he wanted to. His curveball was good and threw in some change-ups as well. I think his curveball was as good as I’ve seen it. He pitched a good game.”

Mike Bolsinger, on the mound for the Diamondbacks, wasn’t bad either. He opened the game retiring the first 10 batters and and only allowed one run, pitching a career-high 7.2 innings.

“It’s tough. You know he’s good,” Bolsinger (1-3) said of the Bumgarner. “It’s why he’s probably going to be an all-star this year. All I could do is just really keep the team in the game. We just caught Bumgarner on one of his good days.”

The Diamondbacks (32-47), 3-8 in their last 11 games, dropped to a season-worst 15 games under .500.

THE GOOD

Mike Bolsinger erased the first hit he allowed with a strike ’em out, throw ’em out inning-ending double play in the fourth. He struck out Buster Posey while Miguel Montero threw out Hunter Pence, who had singled to center. Montero has now thrown out six of the last 10 would-be base stealers.

Though he was doubled off on a line drive back to the pitcher, Paul Goldschmidt’s one-out walk in the fourth inning extended his streak of reaching base safely to 16 consecutive games, during which time he is hitting .333 (17-for-51) with five doubles, four home runs, eight RBI and 17 walks.

Great hustle by center fielder Ender Inciarte in the fifth inning. After a failed diving attempt to catch a line drive, he quickly sprang to his feet, chased down the baseball and started an 8-6-5 relay to throw out Tyler Colvin trying for a triple. It was the Diamondbacks’ 23rd outfield assist of the season, the most in the majors.

THE BAD

The Diamondbacks offense through the first eight innings against Bumgarner recorded one hit and three baserunners, none of whom reached second base. The Diamondbacks didn’t get their first runner into scoring position until the ninth when they doubled their hit production.

Bolsinger didn’t make many mistakes, but in the fifth inning he issued a one-out walk to Brandon Crawford, who scored on the very next pitch on a double by Colvin. It was the only walk and run allowed by the 26-year-old right-hander.

Asked to keep the deficit to a single run, the Diamondbacks bullpen could not, surrendering three insurance runs in the ninth. Posey, Crawford and Joe Panik each had RBI. They were the first runs given up by the bullpen in the series.

Evan Marshall allowed two of the runs as he failed to retire either of the two batters he faced. In his last three appearances, the rookie reliever is sporting an unsightly 45.00 ERA (5 ER in 1.0 IP).

STAT OF THE GAME

2: The total number of hits, both infield singles, the Diamondbacks were able to muster against Bumgarner, who recorded his fourth career start with at least eight innings and two hits allowed

HE SAID IT

“I’m just staying focused,” Bolsinger said of back-to-back quality starts. “Miggy has been really on me about staying focused during the game, every pitch. I was locating the fastball and the curveball was well again today. If I can keep doing that and hopefully keep the team in ballgames.”

NOTED
Bolsinger’s 7.2 innings pitched were the most by a Diamondbacks rookie right-hander since Josh Collmenter on July 8, 2011 against the Brewers

Bolsinger consistently got ahead of hitters, throwing a first pitch strike to 17 of the 27 batters he faced

Batting leadoff for the first time this season, Inciarte saw eight pitches in his first at-bat or one fewer than Bolsinger threw in the entire top of the first inning

Inciarte became the sixth different leadoff hitter in what was Gibson’s 66th different lineup in this the 79th game of the season

Shortstop Chris Owings missed his second straight game, nursing a right ankle

UP NEXT

A day off, the first since June 2, ending a stretch of 20 consecutive games played.

When the Diamondbacks do resume action on Tuesday, June 24, they’ll send Wade Miley to the mound in game one of a brief two-game series against the Cleveland Indians, who counter with right-hander Justin Masterson. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 with pregame coverage beginning 30 minutes earlier on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Miley (3-6, 4.62) has gone winless over his past seven starts and received a third straight no decision despite a quality outing (3 ER in 7.2 IP) against the Brewers last week. He has never faced the Indians, a team making its first Chase Field appearance in three years.

Meanwhile, Masterson (4-5, 4.75), an all-star a year ago, has won two of his past four starts. He’s pitched against the Diamondbacks only once before, a no decision in 2008 while with the Boston Red Sox.

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