Madison Bumgarner strikes out 14 in Giants' 4-0 win over Diamondbacks

SAN FRANCISCO - Madison Bumgarner allowed Arizona’s only hit with one out in the eighth inning and matched a career high with 14 strikeouts to lead the San Francisco Giants over the Diamondbacks 4-0 on Sunday night.

Bumgarner (10-4) retired 25 of the 28 batters he faced, including two double plays, and walked one while going the distance for the third time this season.

Jake Lamb broke up Bumgarner’s bid with a single. Lamb also reached on an error in the fifth when right fielder Gregor Blanco dropped a flyball.

Beyond that, San Francisco’s four-time All-Star was nearly untouchable while notching his fourth career one-hitter.

Bumgarner made it look easy, too.

The Giants lefty fanned Arizona’s first five hitters twice apiece, faced just one over the minimum and the Diamondbacks didn’t hit a ball out of the infield until Lamb’s fly ball in the fifth.

After Lamb’s single in the eighth, Bumgarner got Brandon Drury to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Rickie Weeks Jr. drew a leadoff walk in the ninth, but Bumgarner retired Nick Ahmed on an infield pop-up then got Jean Segura to ground into a game-ending double play.

San Francisco was attempting to become the first team with no-hitters in five consecutive seasons. Matt Cain threw a perfect game in 2012, Tim Lincecum no-hit the Padres in 2013 and 2014 and then-rookie Chris Heston had one in 2015.

Bumgarner, who entered the game with the second-lowest ERA in the majors among qualifying pitchers, nearly got his in front of a sold-out crowd at AT&T Park while helping the Giants complete the series sweep in the final game in the majors before the All-Star break. He dropped his ERA to 1.94 this season.

As it is, San Francisco (57-33) heads into the break with best record in baseball for just the second time in the San Francisco era. They also did it in 1993 with a 59-30 mark.

Brandon Crawford drove in three runs with a sacrifice fly in the first and a two-run single in the seventh. Buster Posey added three hits including an RBI single in the first off Diamondbacks starter Archie Bradley.

NOTES

Giants manager Bruce Bochy has expressed his disappointment in Crawford being left off the NL roster for next week’s All-Star Game but is a firm believer in fans being included in the voting process. “I think it gives every team, their fans, a chance to see one of their players,” Bochy said. “That’s why I don’t have a problem with it.”

Giants outfielder Hunter Pence (right hamstring surgery) is likely to begin a rehab assignment within the next week and could join the team when it returns to AT&T Park on July 25.

Second baseman Joe Panik (concussion) has made progress and will be sent down to begin a rehab stint as soon as he’s cleared by the medical staff.