Field Level Media
Apr 25, 2021
Madison Bumgarner was swarmed by his teammates after pitching seven no-hit innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the host Atlanta Braves 7-0 to sweep a two-game doubleheader Sunday afternoon.
Because it was a seven-inning game, it will not count as an official no-hitter, but it goes down as a complete-game shutout for the four-time All-Star.
Bumgarner faced the minimum and only allowed one baserunner. It came on a second-inning error by shortstop Nick Ahmed. He retired 17 straight to end the game.
The game ended when Marcell Ozuna flew out to right.
"Feels good," Bumgarner said in brief postgame comments to Bally Sports Arizona. "I want to thank the shadows in Atlanta. I also want to thank (MLB commissioner) Rob Manfred for making these seven inning games."
In the 14 innings of baseball at Truist Park Sunday, Atlanta totaled just one hit.
Arizona took the first game of the doubleheader 5-0, as Zac Gallen pitched a complete-game shutout. Freddie Freeman got the only hit, a single, in the sixth.
In the second game, the Diamondbacks jumped all over Atlanta starter Drew Smyly (0-1) in the first inning, putting up five runs before the Braves even stepped to the plate.
The run-scoring barrage started when Pavin Smith led off with a home run to right.
Runners were in scoring position after Carson Kelly moved to third on Asdrubal Cabrera's double. Carson Kelly then came home on a groundout by Wyatt Mathisen.
David Peralta's home run to right-center plated Cabrera to make it 4-0, but Arizona wasn't done just yet.
Ahmed reached on an error and moved to second, coming home on a double to right from Josh Rojas.
Arizona tacked on another run when Eduardo Escobar led off the third with a home run off the foul pole in right. It was his seventh homer in the past 16 games.
It was obviously the best start of the season for Bumgarner. He had not made it past the fifth in any of his previous four starts.
Blessed with a 5-0 lead before taking the hill, Bumgarner was aggressive as he threw 98 pitches with 73 going for strikes.
He finished with seven strikeouts.
Smyly had his shortest stint of the season. After giving up seven runs in his previous two games combined, he surrendered five earned runs in four innings Sunday, giving up six hits with four strikeouts.
--Field Level Media