He’s done it again.

Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling lowered his already team-best 2.08 ERA among all Dodgers starters to an incredible 1.68, when he gave his teammates (and exhausted bullpen) seven strong  innings on Wednesday night in front of a Dodger Stadium crowd of 43,302.

In doing so, the 28-year-old Bluebell, Pennsylvania native picked up his third win of the season, while striking out nine and walking only two in the Dodgers 8-2 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I don’t think, even in college, I struck out more than one an inning,” Stripling told reporters after the game. “That’s fairly new. Couple of weeks ago I was throwing a bullpen and [Dodgers pitching coach Rick] Honeycutt asked what I was thinking when I throw the curve and I told him I just kind of aim it, and he said, ‘Why don’t you just throw it as hard as you can?’ Since then, it’s been a lot better in the zone. I feel like my arm action is better and there’s probably a direct relationship to more strikeouts.”

In addition to his six starts thus far this season, Stripling has also made 11 relief appearances as the team’s so-called long reliever. But with nearly everyone in the Dodgers starting rotation having been on (or is still on) the disabled list at some point during the first one-third of the 2018 campaign, the 6′-3″ / 210-pound hard-throwing right-hander was thrust into a starting role (which has been his normal role throughout most of his professional career) and has emerged as the team’s best starter … even better than perennial staff ace Clayton Kershaw, who will be activated from said DL prior to Thursday’s series finale against the Phillies.

At his current pace and with the 2018 All-Star Game voting only days away, don’t be surprised to see “Chicken Strip” (as he is affectionately called) representing the Dodgers in the Midsummer Classic.
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

On the night, Stripling allowed only one run – a seventh inning solo home run to Phillies left fielder Nick Williams – on four hits, to return his team to 3.5 games behind the NL West-leading Colorado Rockies and 1.5 GB of the second place Arizona Diamondback.

But wait, there’s more!

Not only was Stripling absolutely brilliant on the mound, he also joined Wednesday night’s Dodgers hit parade, picking up his first hit of the season – a sharp liner to center in the bottom of the fifth inning – to also drive in his first run of the season. In doing so, Stripling gave each of the Dodgers starting nine at least one hit on the night.

Babe Stripling
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

I would be remiss if I did not mention that current former Dodger Matt Kemp continues his torrid hitting this season. All the 33-year-old Midwest City, Oklahoma City native and two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and two-time Gold Glover did was go 2-for-4 on the night with a double and a home run – his seventh of the season – while driving in four runs. In doing so, Kemp raised his batting average to a National League-best .345 and all but guaranteed himself a spot on the 2018 NL All-Star team.

If Kemp can maintain his remarkable pace, he might even be in consideration for the 2018 NL MVP, something that he was (literally) cheated out of in 2011 by admitted PED user Ryan Braun.

“Mad Max” Muncy also homered on Wednesday night, a solo shot in the bottom of the third inning. It was the newest popular Dodger’s seventh tater of the season in only his 35th game of the season. In fact, prior to Wednesday’s contest, former Dodgers general manager and current SportsNet LA analyst Ned Colletti called Muncy “This year’s Chris Taylor, but from the left side.” Colletti also called Muncy’s shot prior to the game; an increasingly safe bet.

Play Ball!