Ross Stripling, Dodgers go for sweep of Giants

Ross Stripling takes the mound on Thursday night still yet to allow a hit to the Giants in his career as the Dodgers try for a three-game sweep of their National League West rivals at Dodger Stadium.

Stripling is the one Dodgers pitcher in the last 31 games to last seven innings in a start, doing so on Aug. 12 against the Pirates. Should he last at least six innings on Thursday, Stripling would combine with Rich Hill’s six scoreless innings on Wednesday to be the third pair of Dodger starters to last six innings in back-to-back games in the last 43 games.

The two instances during that span, dating back to July 3, were Scott Kazmir and Stripling from Aug. 10-12, and Kenta Maeda and Kazmir on July 29-30.

Stripling’s major league debut came against the Giants on April 8 in San Francisco, and he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. He was pulled with no hits allowed through 7⅓ innings having thrown 100 pitches.

Though he left with a 2-0 lead with a runner on first, his fourth walk, Stripling got a no-decision as Chris Hatcher allowed a two-run game-tying home run to Trevor Brown, his first batter faced.

Matt Moore starts for the Giants, making his fifth start since he was acquired from Tampa Bay on Aug. 1. The left-hander has a 4.70 ERA in four starts, and has walked 17 batters in 23 innings with his new team.

The Dodgers have already faced Moore twice this season when he was with the Rays, scoring seven runs on May 3 at Tampa Bay and being held to one unearned run in 6⅔ innings at Dodger Stadium on July 27.

Notes

The Dodgers are 15-15 in games started by left-handed pitchers this season, 10-7 at Dodger Stadium.

They are hitting .227/.304/.359 against all southpaws in 2016, 13th in the National League in OPS, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, wOBA (.291) and wRC+ (82), and last in batting average.

Dating back to 2012, nine of the 27 series between the Dodgers and Giants before this week have been sweeps, four by Los Angeles.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network*

*joined in progress, at 8 p.m. PT