PHOENIX -- A couple of quick points before getting started.

First: Monday's matchup between the D-backs and Giants was the first time the NL West rivals have faced each other this year. That's the latest in the season the D-backs have ever faced a division foe for the first time (excluding the pandemic-delayed 2020).

Second: The D-backs’ 8-3 win over the Giants on Monday at Chase Field left them just one win shy of their win total against San Francisco last season.

That's right, the 2021 D-backs went 2-17 against the Giants.

But this isn't the same Arizona team that lost 110 games, and it doesn't appear to be the same San Francisco team that won 107.

So while it wasn't a pregame rallying cry in the D-backs clubhouse -- in fact, most players couldn't have told you what their record was against the Giants a year ago -- it did feel good to start off this year with a win against them.

"We look at each year certainly in a different way," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "Last year we made a lot of mistakes, and I think we learned from those mistakes and we're just pressing on every single day. We know what happened last year. We're not oblivious to that. The Giants were, and still are, a good ballclub. We got to play our game and do our thing. And I think when I talk about making statements and doing things about preparation and focus, and having a passion for the day, I think I think we did a great job today."

After dropping their final two games in Colorado to the last-place Rockies, including on Sunday when they blew a 5-0 lead late, the D-backs returned home to start the week and looked a lot better.

Against a tough left-hander in Carlos Rodón, the D-backs put pressure on the Giants early, bunting and running the bases aggressively to score two runs in each of the first two innings.

Daulton Varsho was in the middle of it all, collecting three hits and stealing a base, and it was his aggressive baserunning -- going first to third on Geraldo Perdomo's sacrifice bunt -- that forced the throwing error that allowed Varsho to continue to come around and score.

"I would say that as a team we just haven't taken advantage of the opportunities to do that," Varsho said. "So I think that was kind of a big key for us. Now moving forward just doing the right things and taking the extra base when we can and it's a lot of fun and it creates a lot of energy and creates a spark for the whole team."

And the early offense helped Arizona starter Madison Bumgarner settle in a bit.

The left-hander, who won three World Series championships with the Giants, was facing his former team for the fourth time since signing a free-agent deal with the D-backs prior to the 2020 season.

Maybe it was facing those familiar uniforms or he said the fact that he was pitching on one of his favorite holidays -- the Fourth of July -- but Bumgarner's velocity was up to 94 mph early on.

"I've been feeling pretty good lately, velocity has been kind of climbing," Bumgarner said. "So I don't know if it was just that or if it was a little mixture of everything, but it did feel like it was coming out really good leaving in the bullpen before I came in. I was excited to pitch on the Fourth of July. It's a special day for me. I'm proud to be an American."

The velocity was up, but the command was spotty especially, it seemed, to his arm side -- in on lefties and away on righties.

"I'm trying to figure out if it's something [mechanical] and just not making the pitches, or if it's mental trying to be too perfect with each one," Bumgarner said. "I don't know for sure, but we're definitely going to try and rearrange that and fix it because I'm not getting paid to [just] go five innings every time."