Stripling makes an All-Star statement
by Cary Osborne
The final case has been made, and it was emphatic.
Ross Stripling, unlikely All-Star candidate at the start of the season, reached his deadline of consideration for the National League team and turned in a dominant performance in Anaheim against the Angels in a 3–1 Dodger victory on Saturday.
“It’s solid. I think it’s been solid for quite some time,” said Dodgers and National League All-Star manager Dave Roberts of Stripling’s case. “You look at the numbers, and that’s what people are going to look at, and what he’s done against the competition, he’s an All-Star.”
Stripling said he has made no solid plans for the All-Star Break. Stay around LA. Maybe Lake Tahoe, he said. Those plans may have to change, and he’ll know on Sunday if the plans change to a trip to Washington D.C. for the Midsummer Classic.
Stripling went six innings, allowing three hits, no walks, one earned run and struck out seven on 90 pitches. In six of his last 10 starts, Stripling has gone at least six innings and allowed two earned runs or less. He dropped his season ERA from 2.27 to 2.22.
Stripling, having now pitched more innings this season (89 1/3) than Dodger team games (88), qualifies to be among the Major League leaders in ERA. He ranks fifth. He ranks second in strikeouts-to-walk ratio at 7.92.
The Angels put two balls in play in the game off Stripling that left the bat with an exit velocity above 90 mph — Mike Trout’s sixth-inning solo home run (99 mph) and a lineout from Albert Pujols (94 mph) in the first inning.
“I think it’s just a four-pitch mix,” Stripling said of his ability to induce weak contact on Saturday. “Today I had all four pitches working and felt like I could throw them in any count. Just keeping them off-balance, a mixture of shadows and the curveball being great and just getting good hitters counts and being able to expand on them. Obviously that’s a good lineup. One through five it’s about as good as it gets, a couple of Hall of Famers in there, so any time you get through them without giving up any damage and getting weak contact is huge.”
Stripling came into the game in the top six percentile for lowest hard-hit percentage in the Majors and top eight percent for lowest barrel percentage.
“I think his ball moves late in the strikezone,” was Roberts’ explanation for Stripling’s ability to miss bats and induce consistent weak contact. “His ability to change speeds and speed hitters up, slow them down, move in and out, he has the ability to keep the ball off the barrel. When you can command different pitches and your secondary as well you have that ability.”
The Dodgers managed just four hits against a sextet of Angels pitchers, but made the most of the four hits.
With his second chance of the day with two runners on, Justin Turner delivered in the fifth inning. He hit a two-run single off Angels reliever Taylor Cole. The second runner in, Kiké Hernández beat a throw from Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun with a slick slide and hand tap on the plate just ahead of the tag by catcher Martín Maldonado.
Yasiel Puig gave the Dodgers some insurance with a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning — his 10th of the season.
The bridge to Kenley Jansen was sturdy. Four pitchers — Edward Paredes, Erik Goeddel, Daniel Hudson and Scott Alexander — combined to allow one hit and one walk over two innings. Trout, having gone 3-for-3 in his first three plate appearances, faced Hudson with one out in the eighth inning and the Dodger reliever induced a check-swing groundout to first base on a 96-mph fastball.
It was redemption for Jansen, facing two of the three hitters that got to him on Friday in the Dodgers’ 3–2 loss. Jansen struck out Shohei Ohtani to start the bottom of the ninth. It was Ohtani who ignited the Angel comeback against Jansen on Friday with a two-out walk.
Then Jansen induced a flyout off the bat of David Fletcher, who knocked in the game-tying run on Friday. Jansen struck out Maldonado to end the game and earn his 24th save.
