Madison Bumgarner To Face Well-Known Dodgers Monday
6 years agoSan Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner is no stranger to Dodger Stadium. He's no stranger to the Dodgers lineup nor is he a stranger to fellow left-handed elite pitcher, Clayton Kershaw. In fact, Monday's game will be the 11th meeting between Bumgarner and Kershaw. Kershaw has a 2.00 ERA in these matchups, while MadBum has a 2.56 ERA. Both pitchers have struck out their fair share of hitters in the matchups as well, with Kershaw notching 78 and Bumgarner 71. That said, MadBum might just have the advantage on Monday. The big lefty has a 0.75 ERA in his last two starts — one of which came against the Houston Astros — and has been historically good in August. He's also held the Dodgers lineup — including newcomers Manny Machado and Brian Dozier — to a collective .232 batting average. Lastly, the Dodgers are on a three-game losing streak that saw their bullpen gutted by the loss of closer Kenley Jansen (heart). The Giants offense will undoubtedly try to get to Kershaw early and overwork him, forcing the Dodgers to go to a depleted bullpen. While the Dodgers lineup presents a scary threat to any starter, MadBum has proved to be uniquely equipped to handle it.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com