With the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation being depleted by injuries so far in 2018, unexpected contributors have been forced to step up in their place.
One of those contributors has been Ross Stripling, who has not only been the best pitcher on the Dodgers so far this season, but one of the best in all of baseball.
He had another strong start in Friday night’s win over the San Francisco Giants, giving up just four hits and two runs in 6.1 innings, striking out six without allowing a walk.
Who knows where the team would be right now without Stripling, but he is just happy to have the opportunity to prove he can be a Major League starter, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“When Doc [Roberts] first told me I was going to start, I almost imagined I’d be piggybacking, go a couple innings and someone else would go a couple,” said Stripling, not quite believing the club would give him a true opportunity to win a starting job.
“I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew I wanted to be a starter, I wanted an opportunity, I knew I could do it. But, you don’t know exactly how it’s going to go until you take the ball every fifth day.”
Stripling looks like he could be on his way to his first career All-Star Game in Washington D.C. next month, holding a record of 6-1 with a 1.76 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 20 games (nine starts). He has struck out 78 hitters compared to just 11 walks in 66.1 innings.
Saturday was the third straight start that Stripling did not walk a hitter and his seventh in nine total this season, which is something that he has said he prides himself on.
Even with Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw on their way to being back healthy, Stripling has cemented himself as a member of the starting rotation as long as he continues to compete at a high level.
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