Longo leads way as D-backs flex against Dodgers

PHOENIX -- Madison Bumgarner didn’t have his best stuff, but he did enough to keep the D-backs in the game long enough for the offense to get to Clayton Kershaw as Arizona beat the Dodgers, 6-3, on Friday night at Chase Field.

Here are three things to know about this game.

The D-backs are playing the Dodgers tough

In six games against the Dodgers this year, the D-backs are 3-3, and while that might not sound like much, consider that they were 5-14 against the Dodgers last season and 10-38 from 2020-22.

So yeah, finding a way to play them to a draw so far this year is a pretty big deal.

D-backs third baseman Evan Longoria, who played for the Giants from 2018-22 before signing as a free agent over the offseason, knows all about how tough the Dodgers are.

“It seems like this team this year has accepted that challenge,” Longoria said of the D-backs. “Even the games that we haven't won, it doesn't seem like there's any quit in the team late in the game, which is something that needs to be noted. I think it's something that's really great moving forward, because that's a really good team over there. And that's a team that's been at the top of this division for 10 years, or whatever it's been. So anytime that you can play well and win games against teams you know are going to be near the top of the division every year, it has a way of building confidence and character moving forward.”

Bumgarner somehow found a way to limit the damage

After allowing five first-inning runs to the Dodgers a week ago in Los Angeles, Bumgarner complained of fatigue in his arm and underwent medical testing that did not show any injury.

This time around, his fastball velocity was better, but he seemed to struggle with his command, walking six and allowing five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Yet somehow Bumgarner was able to keep the Dodgers from blowing things open the way they had done last time out.

“He battled,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “He fought with everything that he had to try and get us through five. So that to me is just a total gut check. I think it was a gut check type of outing for him today. Two earned runs with everything that he's been through this week, I thought it was a pretty, pretty gutsy effort.”

Bumgarner was pleased his team came away with the win, but given the career he’s had, just battling to almost get through five innings is not something he wanted to celebrate.

“I don't know,” he said when asked how he limited the damage. “I'm not sure. I was trying to take it one pitch at a time and just make a pitch, but it was a tough one today. Not the most fun one, but the fact that we got to high five after the game, that makes up for all of it to me.”

Longoria has been a nice addition so far

When the D-backs signed the 37-year-old this winter there was a lot of talk about how he was going to be a mentor to the D-backs’ talented young players.

Longoria welcomed that role, but he made it clear from the get-go that he wanted to make a contribution on the field, not just off it. He did that Friday, going 3-for-3 with a walk, a double and a home run.

“When I came here there was a lot of talk about being that guy, that mentor,” Longoria said. “But I'm still putting on a uniform to go out and play the game. So I don't just want to go out there and go 0-for-4 and be the guy that guys are asking questions on the bench about like, ‘Oh, how was it, you know, 15 years ago?’ That's not the only thing I want to do. So when you have results, it makes it easier to have those conversations when you're able to help the team win.”