Madison Bumgarner wins pitching duel as D-backs edge Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Madison Bumgarner pitched four-hit ball over seven innings to win for the first time in 2 1/2 months and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 on Wednesday night, after both teams scratched their top hitters from the starting lineups.

Arizona traded third baseman Eduardo Escobar, its only All-Star this season, to the Milwaukee Brewers for two prospects. The Rangers traded away slugger Joey Gallo to the New York Yankees before the game.

David Peralta and Daulton Varsho hit solo home runs for the Diamondbacks, who won despite getting only three hits. They won for only the fourth time in the 25 one-run games they have played this season.

Bumgarner (5-6), who will turn 32 on Sunday, threw 61 of his 84 pitches for strikes in his first win since May 11. He had four strikeouts and one walk.

Tyler Clippard, reinstated off the 60-day injured list on July 21, pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his first save since July 22, 2018.

Varsho broke a 2-2 tie leading off the eighth. He pulled his fifth homer of the season into the right-field seats as the first batter faced by Brett Martin (2-3).

Texas starter Jordan Lyles rebounded after allowing a second-inning home run to Peralta to limit Arizona to two runs on two hits in seven innings, retiring 14 straight at one point.

Peralta homered on an 0-2 pitch for his fifth of the year and first since May 15. It was the 25th homer allowed this season by Lyles, who ranks second in the major leagues in that category.

Texas took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Adolis Garcia, hitless in his previous 15 at-bats, led off with a double to the gap in left-center. The All-Star rookie scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s opposite-field single to left. Lowe reached third on Andy Ibanez’s double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Charlie Culberson.

The D-backs tied the score 2-2 in the seventh. Josh VanMeter led off with a double and stole third, a call upheld after a Texas challenge before he eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Young. Lyles had loaded the bases with walks to Christian Walker and Peralta.

SHORT HOPS

Arizona released RHP Jon Duplantier after Tuesday’s game. The third-round draftee in 2016 went 0-3 in four starts with a 13.15 ERA in 13 innings and had been hampered by multiple injuries while with the organization.

TRAINER’S ROOM

D-backs C Carson Kelly (fractured right wrist) was the DH on Wednesday on a rehab assignment at Class A Hillsboro.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (1-5, 4.80 ERA) will start Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers to begin a seven-game homestand against the N.L. West’s top two teams. Gallen has allowed three runs or fewer in four of his five home starts.