SAN FRANCISCO -- Madison Bumgarner did not get his no-hitter for the Giants on Thursday night, but he did accomplish something that's a bit more unique.
Bumgarner's dominance was on both ends, as he matched his seven one-hit innings against the Phillies by picking up a single and two walks in three plate appearances. According to Stats LLC, that's something that's never been done before.
Madison Bumgarner of the @SFGiants had a good night:
Pitching: 7.0 IP, 1 hit
Batting: single, 2 walks
He's the 1st starting pitcher in the live-ball era (since 1920) to have a hit and 2+ walks at the plate while allowing 1 hit or fewer on the mound in a game. #SFGiants— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) August 9, 2019
He was locked in from the start, and that translated to his plate appearances. He saw nine pitches from Phillies ace Aaron Nola his first time up, fouling off three two-strike pitches before smoking a single into left field. That helped ignite a three-run rally that was more than enough for the lefty, who led the way in a 5-0 win.
Bumgarner later walked twice, which has been a bigger part of his game this season. He has just one homer and his .149 average is below his career norm, but Bumgarner has six walks in 55 plate appearances, doubling his total from his previous two seasons combined.
His six walks are the most among MLB pitchers (ironically, Nola is second with five).
Sports
[RELATED: Duggar hits the IL, Joey Rickard gets a shot]
"I felt good at the plate tonight," Bumgarner said. "I was able to hang in there and grind out a few."
