A Case For Ross Stripling

Let me preface this by unequivocally stipulating that I believe that Dustin May has a much higher ceiling than does Ross Stripling. Dustin May has had a great start, but has not yet faced any good offensive teams to establish his 2019 bona fides. May is a career starting pitcher and a sudden move to the bullpen could prove to be as problematic as it was for Walker Buehler. I am NOT saying that he cannot move to the bullpen for the post season. I am suggesting that the switch is not as easy as many fans seem to think that it is. IMO it makes sense to consider May’s spot on the post season roster to be directed more to the #4 spot in the rotation rather than as a reliever.

I do feel different about Tony Gonsolin and the bullpen. Gonzo has experience as an effective reliever in both College and Professional ball. This is his second season strictly as a starting pitcher. May’s path is more clear as a starting pitcher, while Gonsolin can go either way.

Now for the subject of my post…Ross Stripling. I know that many on this site are not Ross Stripling fans. Such is the case for a #4 or #5 starting pitcher, especially with the Dodgers. To many on this site (and I am NOT referring to anyone in particular), unless the pitcher is an Ace or a #2 at the least, then that pitcher is just not good enough to be in the rotation. I am all for having five #1 or #2 pitchers in the Dodger rotation, but I am also a realist. There is no team with five #1 or #2 in the rotation. The Dodgers, Nats, and Astros, are the closest with 3. Maybe next year, the Dodgers get closer, but this is 2019. The Nats #4 would be Anibal Sanchez, while the Astros will be Wade Miley.

Who will be the Dodgers #4? If Rich Hill were healthy, the question is solved. But we do not know if Hill will even be available. The likelihood of him being a starter in the post season are getting very slim, as he is now not expected back to the roster until the last week in September. Albeit, that little gem came from Doc, and I am generally skeptical with his injury updates.

Kenta Maeda? With his outstanding start two games ago notwithstanding, Kenta has never been a second half pitcher. In 2017, his presence in the post-season bullpen was very productive. It seems that Maeda may be more valuable in the bullpen rather than as the #4 starter. Who is the true Kenta Maeda? The one who pitched against the DBacks 2 starts ago, or the one that pitched Friday and against the Padres and Rockies in his 2 previous starts before the DBacks. AF/Doc/Honey are going to need to see how his second half continues, and to see if he is a legit option for the #4.

Dustin May? If he is the choice, I am not going to be disappointed. If he gets the nod, he will have deserved it. But with the workload this year, how is his arm going to feel come October. The Dodgers had no intention of considering Dustin for the post-season when the season began. So now his innings are mounting, He is already at 123.2 IP. He pitched 134.0 and 132.2 innings the last two years. Can you minimize his innings now and then build him back up? What does that do to the arm? Is that really the best option for him in his career? I do not have the answers to any of those questions, and I doubt anyone on here does either. But I bet that AF is talking to the best kinesiologists who can answer them, and to prepare a plan accordingly.

A couple of days back, Vegas Dodger mentioned that at 20, Jim Palmer threw a complete game 4 hit shutout victory against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the 1966 WS. I was at that game. I ditched school that day and missed football practice, so I was in trouble. It was important to me because it looked to be the last game at Dodger Stadium of arguably my favorite Dodger of all time, Junior Gilliam. In fact, it was his last game and he went 0-4. Another important factor for me was because of Brooks Robinson, Baltimore was my favorite AL team at the time. But to Vegas’ point, Palmer was on the roster for the entire 1966 season, and threw 200+ innings. Palmer was on the roster as a 19-year-old for all of 1965. Pitchers in those days were trained/developed to pitch that much. Not so much anymore. Palmer faced every AL team; the good and bad offenses. As it turned out, Palmer became a HOF pitcher. Different time and different circumstances.

Now to Chicken Strip. May has started very well. There is no doubt. But his start was not as good as Strip’s was. Against the SF Giants, on April 8, 2016, Strip was pitching a no-hit game after 7.1 IP and then a walk to Angel Pagan. That was enough for Doc, and he summoned Chris Hatcher from the pen. On a 3-1 pitch to Trevor Brown, he hit a HR to tie the score at 2-2. Joe Blanton would then allow a 10th inning HR to Brandon Crawford to give the Giants the victory.

Things did not go as well for his next 7 starts, and Ross was put into the bullpen for a game, and then sent to OKC where he was being transitioned into more of a multi inning reliever. When he returned in late July, he started 6 games and relieved in 4 multi inning games. He did much better as a reliever than he did as a starter at that time.

In 2017, Strip went back and forth between starter and reliever and had similar results to what Alex Wood experienced last year, and what Julio Urias may be experiencing this year. It is hard to go back and forth between two roles. But he was outstanding in relief in the 2017 post-season. 5 games, 7.1 IP, no runs, 4 hits, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts. He inherited 4 runners and none of them scored. Overall in 9 of 10 post season relief appearances (2016 & 2017), he was unscored upon. So he does have success when it comes to post-season relief.

In 2018, Ross started in the bullpen, and was outstanding. In 14.1 innings, he allowed 1 run. His only inherited runner did not score. After 10 relief appearance, he started against the DBacks, and surprise…it did not go well. He went back to the bullpen for a game, and pitched well. But the team needed a starter as everyone in the rotation was getting hurt. He then rolled off 13 consecutive starts and pitched 76.0 innings, and ended up with a 2.01 ERA and was named to the 2018 NL All Star team. During those 13 games, Ross went 8-1, and the team won 9 of the games.

Strip had a tough AS outing, and maybe that had an impact on his second half start. Simply conjecture. But he did not finish as well as he started, and was not on the post-season roster.

Strip started 2019 as a member of the rotation. After 6 starts and 34 IP, Strip had a 2.65 ERA. His BAA was .218. He then went into the bullpen. He was bad in his first 2019 relief appearance against the Giants, but then pitched relatively well in his next 13 games covering 15.1 innings. He allowed 4 ER for a 2.35 ERA. Not lock down, but not bad. Strip was then needed in the rotation and his first three games getting back to that routine, he had a rough go. He was starting to get more comfortable for his last three games before he came down with a right biceps tendinitis injury.

Why was he not allowed to stay in the rotation? He was not pitching bad. Certainly not as a #5 SP. But once again, Strip got bounced back and forth and some people cannot understand why that is a problem. I do not know if going back and forth between starting and relieving had any effect on his biceps tendinitis. I will let Dodgerrick advise if that is even possible, but it seems that it could be to this novice.

I do not know if Strip will be able to make it back from his injury. And if he does, will there be enough time to stretch him out? Strip is not a sure thing, neither is Clayton. But he has success in the post-season. I prefer experience over potential in a playoff game. I do not like bullpen games in the post-season as the team cannot send a pitcher down and bring another up. There are no breaks between Game 4 and Game 5 in the NLDS, NLCS, or WS. So I do not see Game 4 as a bullpen game for LAD.

I am not advocating any one pitcher over the other, except Rich Hill. I am fine with whoever comes out the next 6+ weeks to make a statement as to who should be the starter in Game 4. Maybe it will be a different starter in each of the series. But my point is that Ross Stripling is an experienced pitcher who was an All Star, has been successful in the post-season, and should not be dismissed because Dustin May looked good against two weak hitting teams. Strip has never complained about his role (as others have done). He believes he is a starter, and would like that role, but accepts relieving is an option.

Neither Hill or Strip may be healthy enough to start, or if they are, not stretched out enough (at least for the NLDS). I do not see Maeda as someone with enough confidence to pound the strike zone against a good hitting team. Walks kill. Urias needs to work on that as well. Gonsolin is better suited for the bullpen at this point. So it could very well be May by default, and I am okay with that. But just don’t dismiss Strip.

Finally, I disagree with those who do not want to see May go up against Atlanta on Sunday. I do. I want to see what he does specifically against Freddie Freeman.