Ross Stripling has plenty of reasons to be encouraged by his outing in the Giants' 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park.
The veteran righty was charged with the loss, but his final line (6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 K) was a moral victory. Aside from one pitch, a three-run home run off the bat of Reds left fielder Will Benson in the bottom of the third inning, Stripling was fantastic and needed just 76 pitches to get through six frames.
"That was all it took, so those three runs, kind of the story of my year," Stripling told reporters after the game. "All three runs given up on home runs, but overall definitely a step in the right direction. Pitches are pretty zoned-in right now, staying in my lanes, mixing in everything any time in any count, so starting to feel like myself and able to get six innings when the bullpen needed it for sure. We made it interesting, almost came back. It just didn't work out."
Despite the loss, Giants manager Gabe Kapler was encouraged by Stripling's outing and how he attacked an explosive Reds lineup.
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"Ross pitched really well; he was super efficient and was all over the zone with all of his pitches," Kapler said. "Made one mistake and Benson put a good swing on it. ... It's a tough lineup to get through and one of the top offenses in the game. Thought Strip did a really nice job, they just got one more big hit than we did and that was the difference in the game."
Stripling was activated off the injured list on June 25 after missing a month of the season with a strained lower back. He has pitched well since returning to the mound and could have gone back out for the seventh, but Kapler and the Giants exercised caution and pulled the 33-year-old with a one-run lead.
"Good," Stripling said of his stamina after the sixth inning. "If [Blake] Sabol didn't homer there, I was going back out. He makes it a one-run game there, so we go to [Ryan] Walker who throws two shutout innings and keeps us right in it. I felt good, definitely would have emptied the tank there that last inning would have finished the deal for sure, but for the most part, I was feeling good."
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The Giants signed Stripling to a two-year, $25 million contract last offseason. The veteran righty struggled mightily to begin the 2023 season, posting a 7.24 ERA before being placed on the injured list. However, in five outings as a long-reliever and as a starter since his return, Stripling has surrendered eight earned runs in 19 1/3 innings pitched (3.77 ERA) while striking out 16 batters and walking just one.
Even though Stripling's one mistake on Wednesday led to a loss that snapped the Giants' seven-game winning streak, it's clear that he has turned a corner and could play an important role in San Francisco's starting rotation down the stretch.
