WATCH: Madison Bumgarner just hit a near perfect home run off Kershaw

Table of Content

• This close-up video of Lionel Messi’s ridiculous assist vs. Croatia left soccer fans in total awe
• WATCH: Madison Bumgarner just hit a near perfect home run off Kershaw
• Madison Bumgarner gets into swing of things vs. Clayton Kershaw
• CHP commander found fatally shot after husband’s mysterious death
• Bumgarner homers off Kershaw again, but Giants lose in 10th
• Most recent National Sports stories
• Murphy to Braves in 3-team deal; Brewers get Contreras

It was a scary moment for Belt, who sustained a broken left thumb early last season, but he remained in the game. "I think I got it in there, maybe it was probably over the plate a little too much. He hit it pretty good," Kershaw said. "We're going against the best pitcher in baseball, we had the lead with the closer out there. That's all you can ask for," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Any time you give up a home run to the pitcher, it doesn't feel good," Kershaw said. "It's supposed to be the easiest out you have. He's a little different, obviously. He's a pretty solid hitter. You don't want to give up a hit to a pitcher, let alone a home run." Bumgarner broke a tie for fifth place with Mickey Welch on the Giants' all-time list for home runs by pitchers.

Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Chris Hatcher (1-0) retired pinch-hitter Joe Panik on a called third strike to send the game into extras, then Kenley Jansen finished for his second save. The Dodgers were on the other side of a 3-2 result in 10 innings a night earlier. The matchup between two of the best pitchers in the game was anticipated for what each would do on the mound, but Bumgarner upped the ante. This was the third time this season that Bumgarner, the current World Series MVP, had started against Kershaw — the Giants have won all three.

This close-up video of Lionel Messi’s ridiculous assist vs. Croatia left soccer fans in total awe

Despite Bumgarner’s pro-Kershaw sentiments, the Dodgers’ lefty knew who was superior Thursday. Bumgarner’s third-inning home run, the first Kershaw has surrendered to a pitcher, was all the Giants needed. "You don't think you'll come here and not score a run for three games," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Second baseman Kelby Tomlinson bobbled the ball in a steady rain, eliminating his chance for a game-ending double play. Kershaw surrendered Bumgarner's homer in the second inning, MadBum's second in two seasons against his division rival. SAN FRANCISCO -- The complete opposite of Clayton Kershaw when it comes to a regimented routine, Madison Bumgarner hardly let the pregame rain derail his process. Kershaw, on the other hand, had to come off the field because of the downpour. Madison Bumgarner watches the flight of his home run in the third inning on the first pitch he saw from Clayton Kershaw. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community.

WATCH: Madison Bumgarner just hit a near perfect home run off Kershaw

It has been a dozen years of destruction, plain and simple, but every once in a while, he'll hang a curveball or throw a slider that didn't get enough depth. The Giants have 19 homers against Kershaw, including two from Madison Bumgarner, one of which will air tonight at 8 p.m. Bumgarner is the only pitcher to ever hit a home run off Kershaw.

Bumgarner homered off Kershaw last year, which means he's the only player with multiple home runs against Kershaw since the start of last season, per ESPN Stats and Info. Moreover, Bumgarner's second career homer off Kershaw duplicated the one he hit off the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner last May 21. Bumgarner joined a select group of 15 players who have homered off Kershaw at least twice. This list includes Most Valuable Player-level performers and legitimate sluggers .

Madison Bumgarner gets into swing of things vs. Clayton Kershaw

Considerng that he clobbered five homers last year and four in 2014, it's tempting to assume he'll add to his total before this season is done. Your browser does not support iframes.Seventeen different players have two career home runs against Kershaw. The list includes names like Goldschmidt and Votto and Tulowitzki and Posey. Going back to the 2008 season, Bumgarner is now the sixth player to hit home runs off Kershaw in back-to-back seasons.

Bumgarner sent a 1-1 pitch into the left field bleachers but gave back that run in the top of the third, allowing three singles before hitting Scott Van Slyke with a pitch to force home a run. Van Slyke was lifted for pinch-runner Joc Pederson because of lower back tightness. Bumgarner blasted a home run off Kershaw in the second inning of Saturday's NL West battle between the Dodgers and Giants.

Need more proof "Mad Bum" is no ordinary pitcher in the batter's box? SAN FRANCISCO -- Madison Bumgarner isn't chasing Barry Bonds' all-time home run record, but the Giants left-hander is rising on a couple of distinct slugging charts nonetheless.

He improved to 9-3 in his last 13 starts against the Dodgers. The Giants homered in their sixth straight game to match the most consecutive games with a longball to begin a year dating to 1913. Madison Bumgarner is out to get Clayton Kershaw. Last season, Bumgarner was the first pitcher to ever hit a home run off Kershaw. During the Giants-Dodgers game on Saturday, Bumgarner did it again.

The score didn’t change until after Kershaw’s departure with one out in the eighth, and the Giants scored twice more on singles by Pence and Brandon Crawford. Thursday’s was the sixth matchup between Bumgarner and Kershaw, and the Giants have won five, including all three this season. Bumgarner is 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA opposing Kershaw, who’s 1-4 with a 2.57 ERA in those games. Buster Posey singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 13 games and end Kershaw”s day. The last time they were blanked in three straight games was June 2012 by San Francisco. "He's the best pitcher in baseball," Bumgarner said.

Bumgarner's solo shot gave the Giants, who would eventually win 4–0, a 1–0 lead. It was his first homer of the season and the sixth given up by Kershaw this year. It's also the first home run he's ever allowed to an opposing pitcher. Kershaw was charged with four runs on seven hits and two walks and drilled Brandon Belt on the back of his right hand with a 92 mph fastball.

This was the third time this season that Bumgarner, the current World Series MVP, had started against Kershaw - the Giants have won all three. "I'm going to go up there and compete when I'm at the plate, too, but I don't want to get out of what I'm doing ," he said. "It's fun playing those guys. We get to match up against them a lot. There's kind of a history between the two teams, but at the same time you have to kind of find a way to push that aside when you go out there to pitch." Bumgarner's long ball was the 12th of his career, tying him with ex-National Leaguer Yovani Gallardo of Baltimore for the most among active pitchers. Buster Posey has three homers against him, but the rest of the current roster only has three combined, and one of those comes from newcomer Wilmer Flores. The mainstays have had a nightmare of a time, with Brandon Belt currently carrying a 4-for-60 line and Brandon Crawford sitting not much better at 6-for-48.

Hunter Pence had two hits and drove in two runs. San Francisco outscored the Dodgers 10-0 in sweeping the three-game series. The champion Giants have won six in a row overall. MLB ConfidentialMLB players weigh in on baseball's best player, PEDs and what they really think about A-Rod's return.

Bumgarner's 12 career homers -- two of those off Kershaw -- matched Yovani Gallardo for most career home runs among active pitchers. The Giants ace allowed one run and six hits in six innings with one walk. Kershaw gave up four hits and two runs and walked one. The Dodgers began the season with 31 straight scoreless innings by the pitchers. They will go for a series split Sunday after putting the leadoff hitter aboard in five innings Saturday, including on four doubles.

Before Thursday, Bumgarner had only one hit this season and was batting .059. Bumgarner, Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for 2014, hit four home runs last season, tied for the most by a pitcher since 2006. Saturday over the Giants with his first homer of the season and second lifetime off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.