LOS ANGELES ― Ross Stripling wasn’t in the ballpark for Friday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. He was tuning in from Arizona, where he is on the Giants’ injured list rehabbing a back injury, noting the coincidences.
On April 8, 2016, Stripling made his major league debut for the Dodgers in San Francisco. Dave Roberts, then in his first year as the Dodgers’ manager, removed Stripling in the eighth inning, after the right-hander issued a walk on his 100th pitch of the game. He hadn’t allowed any hits.
Reliever Chris Hatcher then allowed a two-run home run, ending the Dodgers’ no-hit bid and tying the game, which the Dodgers lost in 10 innings. The main difference between Stripling’s performance in his debut and that of Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan on Friday night? The announced crowd of 49,074 at Dodger Stadium was cheering for Sheehan.
Sheehan threw six innings without allowing a hit in his major league debut, but the Dodgers lost the opener of a three-game series with the Giants, 7-5, in 11 innings.
San Francisco scored two runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth to take a 5-4 lead. The Dodgers scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings, only to cough up a pair of runs with Alex Vesia on the mound in the 11th.
Dodger starters are 25-17 with a 4.24 ERA this season, while their relievers are 14-14 with a 4.79 ERA.
The Dodgers’ third starting pitcher to make his major league debut this year, Sheehan skipped straight from Double-A Tulsa to the big leagues at age 23. His father, George, and mother, Maureen, were both present.
Sheehan threw 89 pitches, 51 for strikes. His two-seam fastball touched 98 mph, and his two secondary pitches – a changeup and slider – did not yield any hard contact. He issued two walks, struck out three, and got a whopping 13 outs in the air.
In the process, Sheehan became the second pitcher since Stripling to complete at least six innings in his major league debut without allowing a hit.
On occasion, Sheehan got help from his defense.
Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas made a sliding backhand stop on a hard ground ball headed to left field in the third inning, then threw to second base for a forceout to preserve the no-hitter. First baseman Freddie Freeman leaped into the netting protecting the first row of seats down the right field line to catch a foul pop-up. Sheehan’s final pitch yielded a screaming line drive headed toward the right field line off the bat of Joc Pederson, but Mookie Betts dove headlong to make the catch, bringing the crowd to its feet.
Brusdar Graterol took over to begin the seventh inning and allowed a single to the first batter he faced, Thairo Estrada. Wilmer Flores followed with a home run to bring the Giants within 4-2. In the span of minutes, the drama of the no-hitter vanished.
Victor Gonzalez relieved Graterol in the eighth inning and allowed a walk and two singles while recording one out. The latter, a single by Pederson, snuck under the glove of Rojas and into left field, scoring two runs.
Tayler Scott relieved Gonzalez and did his job, retiring Estrada on a fly ball to center field. But Austin Slater had no trouble tagging up and scoring from third base, tying the game at 4-all.
The Dodgers intentionally walked Michael Conforto to load the bases for Casey Schmitt, who also poked a ground ball toward Rojas’ backhand. The throw to first base was late, Schmitt was safe, and Pederson scored the go-ahead run from third.
Leading 5-4, the Giants called on hard-throwing closer Camilo Doval to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, Doval allowed back-to-back singles by Rojas and Betts to put runners on first and third. Doval then started Freeman off with a 101-mph fastball. Freeman whipped the ball into shallow right field, scoring Rojas from third base.
Tied 5-5, Betts made the second out of the inning at third base on the front end of a double-steal, before Doval struck out J.D. Martinez to end the inning.
The Dodgers coaxed six scoreless innings out of their bullpen in Thursday’s 11-inning win against the Chicago White Sox. Friday’s workload – six relievers combined to throw five innings – could prompt a phone call to Triple-A Oklahoma City to summon a fresh arm. Graterol and Ferguson have each appeared in three of the last four games.
The Dodgers’ position players took a hit, too. David Peralta left the game with a left hamstring strain and Chris Taylor left the game with right knee pain. They were replaced in the lineup by James Outman and Michael Busch.
