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One week ago, most people didn't even know who Ross Stripling was. The 26-year-old right-hander essentially came out of nowhere to earn a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation, and that was only because of the numerous injuries the Dodgers are currently dealing with.  What a difference a week makes. On Friday, that same Ross Stripling nearly became a big part of MLB history after pitching 7.1 hitless innings in his MLB debut against the San Francisco Giants. [ Sign up for Fantasy Baseball  |  Play for $40K  |  Expert rankings  |  Mock draft  ]  Stripling was five outs away from becoming only the second   pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in his big league debut. However, rookie manager Dave Roberts elected to remove Stripling after he walked Angel Pagan. The walk was Stripling's fourth of the game, and it put him at exactly 100 pitches, which is actually more slack than a first-time starter will usually get.  Roberts' decision was immediately put under the microscope as fans and experts alike debated its merits. While some understood Roberts' hesitation to ride a debuting pitcher to the finish line, especially considering the workload, others felt Stripling deserved the chance given how close he was to history. What history will show now is that Stripling received one of the most gut-wrenching no-decisions ever. The very next batter, Trevor Brown, a rookie who was filling in for Buster Posey, crushed a two-run game-tying home run off reliever Chris Hatcher. The homer was the first of Brown's career, and it sent AT&T Park into an absolute frenzy as San Francisco once again found its way off the deck.  Making matters even worse for Los Angeles, the Giants would go on to win the game 3-2 in ten innings on Brandon Crawford's walk-off home run. Those two home runs would be the only two hits for San Francisco during the entire game.  Despite that result and the discussion that was going on around him, Roberts stood by his decision, noting that Stripling's longterm outlook was more important than a single game.   Roberts said that Stripling was on a 100-pitch limit. Medical staff contributed to that decision. Removing him was "a no-brainer." — J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) April 9, 2016 Continue to Article

April 09, 2016 2:01:am EST

One week ago, most people didn't even know who Ross Stripling was. The 26-year-old right-hander essentially came out of nowhere to earn a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation, and that was only because of the numerous injuries the Dodgers are currently dealing with.  What a difference a week makes. On Friday, that same Ross Stripling nearly became a big part of MLB history after pitching 7.1 hitless innings in his MLB debut against the San Francisco Giants. [ Sign up for Fantasy Baseball  |  Play for $40K  |  Expert rankings  |  Mock draft  ]  Stripling was five outs away from becoming only the second   pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in his big league debut. However, rookie manager Dave Roberts elected to remove Stripling after he walked Angel Pagan. The walk was Stripling's fourth of the game, and it put him at exactly 100 pitches, which is actually more slack than a first-time starter will usually get.  Roberts' decision was immediately put under the microscope as fans and experts alike debated its merits. While some understood Roberts' hesitation to ride a debuting pitcher to the finish line, especially considering the workload, others felt Stripling deserved the chance given how close he was to history. What history will show now is that Stripling received one of the most gut-wrenching no-decisions ever. The very next batter, Trevor Brown, a rookie who was filling in for Buster Posey, crushed a two-run game-tying home run off reliever Chris Hatcher. The homer was the first of Brown's career, and it sent AT&T Park into an absolute frenzy as San Francisco once again found its way off the deck.  Making matters even worse for Los Angeles, the Giants would go on to win the game 3-2 in ten innings on Brandon Crawford's walk-off home run. Those two home runs would be the only two hits for San Francisco during the entire game.  Despite that result and the discussion that was going on around him, Roberts stood by his decision, noting that Stripling's longterm outlook was more important than a single game.   Roberts said that Stripling was on a 100-pitch limit. Medical staff contributed to that decision. Removing him was "a no-brainer." — J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) April 9, 2016 Continue to Article

April 09, 2016 2:01:am EST