Madison Bumgarner threw a seven-inning no-hitter against the Braves in a doubleheader, though the shortened game kept it from counting officially. Still, people were impressed. Bumgarner has struggled all season, so this was a welcome surprise. He faced the minimum number of batters, thanks to an early error by his shortstop that was quickly erased with a double play. Across 51 two-strike counts, he perfectly balanced his pitch mix: 17 fastballs, 17 curveballs, and 17 cutters. In the final inning, he dropped the curve altogether and relied solely on cutters and fastballs to finish the game.
Bumgarner’s postgame interview was short and blunt. He thanked the shadows in Atlanta for helping him out and gave a sarcastic nod to Rob Manfred for the seven-inning format. He didn’t take any questions. His teammates kept the celebration light, knowing it was a bit of a weird situation. Still, they made it clear they appreciated the moment. Given how rare it is to complete a no-hitter, even in the regular nine innings, this performance stood out. Whether people count it or not, Bumgarner came out and dominated.