The Arizona Diamondbacks southpaw allowed 17 earned runs in his first three starts of the 2021 campaign but bounced back in his fourth while allowing one run in five innings. All he did in his fifth start was throw a no-hitter.
Well, sort of.
Bumgarner threw seven hitless innings in Sunday's 7-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately for the veteran, it doesn't count as an official no-hitter.
Matt Kelly of MLB.com explained in August that Elias Sports Bureau, which is Major League Baseball's official statistician, ruled that an individual or team has to pitch at least nine hitless innings for it to count as an official no-hitter when seven-inning doubleheaders were added to the rulebook.