Bumgarner Solid in Win Over Cubs

Madison Bumgarner put together a solid outing against the Cubs in his second Cactus League start.

One day after initially intended, Madison Bumgarner took a step in the right direction. Facing much of the Chicago Cubs' projected Opening Day lineup, Bumgarner was able to get four "up-downs", pitching 3.1 scoreless innings on two hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in a 3-1 win. Like in his first Cactus League start, the veteran left-hander used PitchCom to call his own pitches with young catcher Jose Herrera behind the plate. 

Bumgarner's start didn't begin very well, as he struggled to put away hitters in two-strike counts in the first two innings. It started from the very first hitter, as Nico Hoerner worked a 10-pitch at-bat before singling. As a result of two-strike foul balls, Bumgarner was lifted after facing only four batters in the second and retiring only one of them. 

After re-entering the game in the third, Bumgarner finished his start on a high note. The veteran left-hander retired the final six hitters he faced, with the final two going down on strikes. He got some defensive help from Corbin Carroll, who robbed Cody Bellinger of a potential extra base hit in the fourth inning. 

Cole Sulser followed Bumgarner in the fifth. With an extra spot in the bullpen opened up due to Mark Melancon facing a lengthy absence, he took advantage of the opportunity. After giving up a leadoff single to Yan Gomes, Sulser struck out the next three hitters. Originally acquired off waivers from the Miami Marlins, Sulser has impressed with five scoreless appearances and five strikeouts. 

Brandon Pfaadt entered the game in the sixth. He got tagged for a home run by Cody Bellinger on a middle-middle fastball. In his second inning, he gave up a leadoff double to Patrick Wisdom then committed a throwing error on a pickoff attempt. The D-backs No. 2 prospect was able to strand that runner with a chopper to first and two strikeouts. He cruised through the eighth and ninth innings against the Cubs minor league reserves, finishing with just that one run in four innings on two hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts.

Despite playing with a B lineup for much of the day, the young prospects had an impressive showing. Outfielder Caleb Roberts launched a two-run home run off left-hander Drew Smyly to left-center in the fourth. Infielder Gavin Conticello had another left-on-left hit that scored a run in the eighth. Both players were selected in the 2021 MLB Draft by Arizona, in the fifth and eighth round respectively.

Notes

D-backs No. 14 prospect Dominic Fletcher capped off an impressive WBC run with Team Italy with a home run off Padres ace Yu Darvish. 

What a game -- and #WorldBaseballClassic -- for @Dbacks prospect Dominic Fletcher.

3-for-4 today, including this shot off of Yu Darvish.

For the tournament:
7-for-19, 5 R, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB

More on the 25-year-old outfielder: https://t.co/7HIbyowq9Z pic.twitter.com/JjKKaKYbXJ

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 16, 2023