The Arizona Diamondbacks are ready to open the season in familiar fashion: with Mad Bum on the mound.
Madison Bumgarner was tabbed by manager Torey Lovullo to make his second straight opening day start for the Diamondbacks on Thursday at San Diego.
The 31-year-old four-time All-Star struggled last season - his first in Arizona - going 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA. He was 2-1 with a 6.35 ERA in three spring starts, including allowing six earned runs against Cincinnati on Friday.
But Bumgarner, who signed a five-year, $85 million contract before last season, will still lead off a Diamondbacks rotation that includes Merrill Kelly, Caleb Smith, Taylor Widener and Luke Weaver. This will be the seventh opening day start in Bumgarner’s career after doing so five times with San Francisco.
The Yankees also are setting their rotation, announcing Sunday that Corey Kluber will follow ace Gerrit Cole against Toronto.
Kluber, who signed a one-year, $11 million contract with New York, has thrown one inning in a regular-season game since being hit on the right forearm by a comebacker on May 1, 2019, and none since tearing a muscle in his right shoulder in his Texas debut last July 26.
“We’ll be a little conservative out of the gates with him from a pitch count standpoint,” manager Aaron Boone said of the 34-year-old righty and two-time Cy Young Award winner.
Meanwhile, Jameson Taillon will be skipped the first time through the Yankees’ rotation. He hasn’t pitched since May 1, 2019, while rehabilitating from his second Tommy John surgery that Aug. 13.
Domingo Germán will start the series finale against the Blue Jays on April 4, his first appearance in two years. The 28-year-old right-hander was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 19, 2019, while MLB investigated an alleged domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend, with whom he has at least one child.
Left-hander Jordan Montgomery will start against Baltimore on April 5.
PHILLIES 6, YANKEES 2
Zack Wheeler made his sixth start for Philadelphia, allowing a hit and a walk in three shutout innings, striking out four. Alec Bohm had two hits, including his fourth double.
Kluber struggled with his control in his fourth start for New York, yielding two runs and three hits with four walks, striking out five in 3 1/3 innings. Jay Bruce doubled and walked.
The Phillies announced that outfielder Scott Kingery, catcher Rafael Marchan and left-hander JoJo Romero were optioned to minor league camp. Also, the Phillies re-assigned catcher Rodolfo Duran and outfielder Travis Jankowski and released catcher Christian Bethancourt.
RAYS 16, BRAVES 5
Moises Gomez hit a three-run homer - his third of the spring - to cap a 12-run eighth inning for Tampa Bay. MLB’s top prospect Wander Franco had an RBI single in the rally that saw the Rays score 12 times before the second out was recorded. Twelve of the first 13 batters in the inning reached base. Kevin Kiermaier had a double and his first homer, a two-run shot. Ryan Yarbrough made his fourth start, yielding two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Freddie Freeman had two hits, including a double and his first homer - a two-run shot in the sixth. Alex Jackson homered in the seventh with a runner on for his second of the spring. Charlie Morton made his third start, allowing two hits and two walks in three scoreless innings. Morton didn’t allow a run this spring.
PIRATES 2, ORIOLES 1
Adam Frazier doubled to lead off the game for Pittsburgh, scoring on Troy Stokes’ single. Frazier added an RBI single in the second.
Mitch Keller made his fifth start for the Pirates. He came in with a 16.20 ERA after surrendering 15 runs on 22 hits in 8 1/3 innings, but tossed three scoreless innings against Baltimore and allowed one hit and four walks.
Matt Harvey made his fourth start for the Orioles, giving up two runs and five hits with two walks in five innings. Yusniel Diaz had a double for one of Baltimore’s two hits.
MARLINS 10, METS 2
Jesus Aguilar had three hits for Miami, including a solo homer in the second inning. Aguilar doubled in a run in a four-run first. Daniel Castano made his third start in his fifth appearance, allowing one run and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out five.
Brandon Nimmo hit his second home run for New York. Michael Conforto had two hits, including his first double.
RED SOX 8, TWINS 3
Enrique Hernández and Franchy Cordero led off with back-to-back home runs off Minnesota’s José Berríos.
Xander Bogaerts had a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth. J.D. Martinez had two hits, including his fourth double, driving in two. Cesar Puello hit his second homer, a solo shot.
Berríos made his fifth start for Minnesota, giving up three runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
NATIONALS 11, CARDINALS 3
Jon Lester made his third start in his first spring with Washington, allowing three runs - two earned - and five hits with two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Ryan Zimmerman hit his sixth spring homer and added an RBI single in the second for the Nationals. Alex Avila had two hits, including his second homer. Victor Robles had three hits, including his sixth double, with an RBI, and Kyle Schwarber doubled and walked three times.
St. Louis’ top pitching prospect Matthew Libatore made his first start in his fifth appearance, allowing two runs and three hits and two walks, striking out four of the seven batters he retired.
TIGERS 4, BLUE JAYS 4 (9)
Tarik Skubal made his third start in his fifth appearance for Detroit, tossing five innings and allowing one run and three hits and a walk. Kody Clemens, the son of seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens, had an RBI single. Nomar Mazara hit his first homer.
Ross Stripling made his third start in his fourth appearance for Toronto, allowing one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.
RANGERS 12, CUBS 8
Jake Arrieta gave up a walk to load the bases in the second, then hit a batter to force in the first run in a six-run second inning. He finished with four runs allowed on five hits over 2 2/3 innings.
Joc Pederson belted his eighth home run of the spring for the Cubs with a man on in the fourth.
Kohei Arihara allowed three runs, two on Pederson’s homer, on five hits and struck out four over five innings in the start for the Rangers. Joey Gallo hit a three-run homer in the second.
BREWERS 7, REDS 1 (7)
Corbin Burnes struck out nine Reds over his five-inning start, giving up just three hits, including a solo home run to Tyler Naquin. Burnes had a 1.65 ERA this spring in 21 1/3 innings with 35 strikeouts.
Avisaíl García hit a two-run homer in the first for Milwaukee. Christian Yelich tripled, and Jackie Bradley Jr. walked, singled and scored two runs.
Jeff Hoffman opened for the Reds and gave up four runs and three hits and two walks while getting just two outs. Sean Doolittle started the second inning and allowed two runs and three hits while striking out the only two batters he retired.
PADRES 3, INDIANS 3
Joe Musgrove did not allow a hit over his five-inning start, walking two and striking out six for the Padres. Musgrove also singled and doubled in two at-bats and scored on Fernando Tatis Jr.’s double.
MacKenzie Gore gave up three-run homer to Josh Naylor in the sixth.
Triston McKenzie worked five innings in the start for Cleveland, allowing three runs and seven hits.
ATHLETICS 11, GIANTS 3
Daulton Jefferies gave up a solo home run to Mike Yastrzemski in his five-inning start for Oakland, allowing three hits. Matt Olson singled, homered and drove in three runs.
Conner Menez worked two scoreless innings in the start for the Giants. Sam Selman struck out two in the fifth, but walked one and allowed two runs and two hits. Yunior Marte gave up five runs on three hits and two walks and managed to retired just one in the ninth. The Giants used 10 pitchers and issued nine walks.
WHITE SOX 7, DIAMONDBACKS 4
Merrill Kelly allowed a run and four hits over his five-inning start while striking out six. Joakim Soria retired the side in order in the sixth. Stefan Crichton gave up five earned runs on two hits and three walks and did not record an out in the eighth. Josh Rojas tripled to drive in two runs.
Dallas Keuchel struck out four in five innings for the White Sox, allowing two runs on five hits. Codi Heuer allowed a hit in the eighth and Liam Hendricks retired the side in the ninth. Matt Reynolds hit a two-run double in the eighth.
ROYALS 6, ROCKIES 3
Royals starter Mike Minor allowed an earned run and five hits over five innings. Adalberto Mondesi singled and homered and Jorge Soler had two hits, including a double.
Chi Chi González started for the Rockies and struck out five in his five-inning start, giving up a run and three hits. Daniel Bard struck out all three he faced in the fifth. Josh Fuentes went 4 for 4 with a double, Raimel Tapia had two hits and drove in a run, and Colton Welker homered in the eighth.
ANGELS 6, DODGERS 5 (8)
Max Muncy homered twice for the Dodgers, giving him three this spring, and Gavin Lux and Corey Seager also went deep at Angel Stadium.
With the game tied at 5 in the eighth inning, Taylor Ward hit a solo homer off Garrett Cleavinger to lead the Angels to the victory. Juan Lagares had tied it with a solo homer in the seventh.
Angels starter Andrew Heaney gave up four runs and four hits - including three homers - in 2 2/3 innings. Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin allowed four runs - two earned - and eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
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