Bradley outshines Bumgarner after besting Kershaw in MLB debut
Perhaps no pitcher in major league history has had a more daunting first two starts to begin a career than Arizona Diamondbacks hurler Archie Bradley.
The right-hander followed up a huge shutout win over three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers in his MLB debut by besting 2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner and the defending champion San Francisco Giants 7-6 on Thursday night.
Bradley, the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft, tossed 6 2/3 innings and left the game with a commanding 4-1 lead after yielding a two-out single to Joe Panik in the seventh. Oliver Perez came on in relief and spoiled Bradley's line (4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) by promptly serving up a two-run homer to Brandon Crawford, which cut the Arizona lead to 4-3. The Diamondbacks' bullpen eventually coughed up the lead in the bottom of the ninth to spoil the prospects of a second win for the rookie and send the game to extras. Arizona would eventually prevail in 12 innings, though, thanks to a two-RBI double from Aaron Hill.
Bradley's stuff is so nasty, it even scared the home plate umpire in the third inning.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
The game was tied at 1-1 in the fifth inning until Paul Goldschmidt destroyed a Bumgarner fastball and deposited it into the left field stands for a three-run shot to put Bradley in position for his second win. Bumgarner allowed four runs on a pair of homers and scattered six hits over seven innings of work.
Bradley should get a breather in his next scheduled start Wednesday against the ace-less Texas Rangers after they lost Yu Darvish to season-ending Tommy John surgery.
The Giants have now lost seven consecutive games.