There are some – many, in fact – who consider the Angels of Anaheim a less than formidable opponent right now with their current 45-45 record and current fourth place standing in the American League West. But after Friday night’s devastating 3-2, bottom of the ninth, walk-off loss to the Halos in the annual Freeway Series opener between the two ‘Los Angeles’ teams (one actual, the other perceived), the Dodgers are definitely not among them.

A big reason for this is, of course, because the Angels have the undisputed best player in the game and the former best player in the game on their roster, both of whom are destined for Cooperstown.

But the Dodgers have a guy who’s pretty good, too. And even though he has yet to establish himself as a potential future Hall of Famer, he is, in all likelihood, headed to Washington D.C. for next week’s MLB All-Star Game.

That ‘he’ is, of course, Dodgers ace right-hander Ross Stripling, who picked up his seventh win of the season on Saturday, as the Dodgers beat those same Angels by a score of 3-1.

In a bit of irony, that lone Angels run allowed by Stripling was a sixth-inning solo home run by (wait for it…) Mike Trout, the aforementioned undisputed best player in the game. What’s more, Stripling allowed only three hits on the day in his stellar 7.0 innings pitched … all of them by Mike Trout.

“I just found that out,” Trout told reporters after the game about now being 5-for-5 with two home runs against Stripling. “Just trying to get a pitch to hit.”

Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the other guy, and a lot of pitchers have tipped their hats to future Hall of Famer Mike Trout. (Video capture courtesy of Fox Sports)

As for Stripling and his characteristic sense of humor, “He’s a little better than average, I’d say.”

Stripling would finish the day allowing only that one run and those three hits, while walking none and striking out seven, to bring his season total to a team-high 103. He also lowered his ERA to 2.22 over his combined 89.1 innings pitched.

“He threw the ball really well, and early, very efficient,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Stripling. “He was in control, and when Ross is right – executing every pitch he has in his repertoire – he’s tough. Against lefties, righties, it doesn’t matter.”

As for the current best pitcher in the Dodgers starting rotation allowing three hits to the best player in the game, Roberts gave credit where credit was most certainly due.

“Actually, Trout put a good swing on the ball that was sort of elevated,” Roberts said of Trout’s solo home run in the sixth inning. “He flared one to right field for another hit, and he got a clean base hit. But I thought Ross pitched a heck of a game.”

If Ross Stripling is not on the 2018 National League All-Star roster, there is something seriously wrong with the process.
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

But was Stripling’s latest gem good enough to guarantee him a ticket to our nation’s capital for the annual Midsummer Classic on July 17?

“I see the stuff on Twitter, so obviously it’s in the back of my mind,” said Stripling when the topic came up following Saturday’s win. “It would be awesome to make it. I’m honored to be the guy that when guys got hurt, to be the guy they counted on to step up. I just feel I’ve done my job and hopefully keep doing my job.

“At the beginning of the year, if you’d said guys like myself and [Matt] Kemp and [Max] Muncy would be our potential All-Stars, guys would have told you you’re lying. But that’s what we’re looking at. You never know where the year will take you, but it’s something I’m proud of, to be a mainstay of the rotation.”

How about the mainstay of the rotation.

Well done, Ross … well done indeed.