While Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts raised some eyebrows with a relatively quick hook on Scott Kazmir in his first start, the ramifications of that paled in comparison of what was to come in the series against the San Francisco Giants.
After Alex Wood allowed three runs in the fifth inning on Thursday, Roberts had the southpaw bat for himself in the sixth, then take the mound in the bottom half of the inning. Wood was lifted after allowing consecutive base hits with no outs.
San Francisco went on to score four runs in the sixth, taking a lead that they never relinquished. Roberts explained in his postgame interview he was content with the velocity Wood was still pitching with, and the soft contact the Giants made in the fifth.
That quickly became old news when Ross Stripling, making his Major League debut, was removed after throwing his 100th pitch in 7.1 no-hit innings; Stripling’s final offering was ball four to Angel Pagan.
Roberts, who was ejected soon after removing Stripling, stood by his decision and said the right-hander was on a predetermined pitch count. Stripling said he didn’t have any issue with getting removed, adding he’d become fatigued at that juncture.
According to Andy McCullough of the LA Times, Stripling’s father emotionally thanked Roberts for having his son’s health in mind:
In the lobby of a hotel two miles from AT&T Park, Dave Roberts received the only validation he required after the most controversial decision of his brief managerial career. As Roberts walked toward the exit on Saturday morning, he ran into Hayes Stripling. There were tears in the man’s eyes.
The night before, Hayes watched as Roberts removed his son, Ross, when he was five outs away from completing a no-hitter in his major league debut. Hayes did not seek recrimination. He wanted to thank Roberts for protecting his son’s surgically repaired right elbow.
Roberts also recieved the support of Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman:
“At that point in time, I agree with Doc and Honey,” Friedman said. “Chris Hatcher gave us the best chance to win that game at that moment in time. It’s easy if you just look at the outcome to second-guess it. But at that moment in time, it was very clear, in terms of what gave us the best chance to win that game.”
Stripling, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 and missed much of last season, maxed out this spring at 78 pitches in one outing. He didn’t throw more than 93 pitches in a game last season with Double-A Tulsa.
The Dodgers’ fifth-round pick in the 2012 draft tossed 67.1 over 13 starts with the Drillers in 2015, and four innings in a rehab start for Low-A Great Lakes. On the day he named Stripling the club’s fifth starter, Roberts said an innings limit would be in place.
