Giants beat Dodgers on Brandon Crawford’s homer
A Dodgers’ right-hander named Ross Stripling, who hasn’t been around long enough to know any better, took it upon himself to upstage Bumgarner and Kershaw, two of the game’s greatest stars.
Stripling, 26, in his major-league debut and two years removed from Tommy John surgery, tossed 71/3 hitless innings in a 3-2 Giants victory on a rainy Friday night, only to be removed.
Exercising caution because Stripling has had reconstructive elbow surgery, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed him after 100 pitches, following a walk to Angel Pagan with one out in the eighth, and Trevor Brown immediately blasted a game-tying, two-run homer off reliever Chris Hatcher.
Hatcher felt horrible, of course, blowing the biggest moment of Stripling’s career, and the reliever’s frustration carried over to the next batter.
Let it be known that Brown struck out swinging in his two at-bats against Stripling, a fifth-round draft pick out of Texas A&M in 2012 who got the nod Thursday only because so many Dodger starters are hurt.
Giants fans would have witnessed the first pitcher to make his debut with a no-hitter since Bumpus Jones of Cincinnati in 1892.
The Giants’ lineup, so lethal in Thursday’s home opener that a 4-0 deficit became a 12-6 victory, took a break against Stripling after pounding out 45 hits in the first four games.
When Duffy was robbed by right fielder Yasiel Puig in the second inning, it turned out to be a vital part of Stripling’s night.