Ross Stripling Dominates as Rotation Decision Looms

Charlie Montoyo is days away from a decision.

With two doubleheaders in the next week, the Blue Jays have been rocking a six-man rotation since arriving back in Toronto. But Montoyo must soon pare down his pitching staff, and the decision won’t be easy.

Not allowing a hit until the fifth inning and finishing with six shutout frames, Ross Stripling presented his case to remain in Toronto’s rotation, Thursday against Cleveland. The righty followed Steven Matz’s six shutout innings from the night before, muddying Montoyo’s eventual decision in the best way possible.

"That's been my career up to date," Stripling said. "For six years, I've kind of had had that thought in the back of my mind at all times, you know, I've never really showed up to a spring training with a for sure spot in the rotation. So I'm always kind of battling for that spot, battling for that job."

With José Berríos, Hyun Jin Ryu, Robbie Ray, and Alek Manoah firmly in Toronto’s rotation plans, Matz and Stripling are the potential options to lose their spot, Montoyo said before Wednesday’s game. Stripling has pitched out of the bullpen 88 times in his career, coming on in relief in three Dodger playoff runs, and Montoyo noted his comfortability and experience in the role. Thursday, Stripling was more than a long reliever.

Toronto’s starter held the ball behind his right side in the sixth inning, scraping at the rubber before coming set. He teetered back and forth and skipped off the dirt as Bobby Bradley swung through strike one. At 93 pitches, with two men on and Trevor Richards warm in bullpen, a Bradley hit could’ve ended Stripling’s day.

Instead, the righty worked to two strikes and buried a low changeup to earn the second out. A Montoyo mound visit and three strikes later, Stripling was out of the inning, ending his day without a run against.

"At the end of the day, obviously I want to be a starter," Stripling said. "I feel like my arsenal fits as a starter. But this is crunch time. It's about winning ballgames."

Even when Stripling allowed the rare Cleveland baserunner, he stranded them out on the Rogers Centre dirt. In the first, Vlad Guerrero Jr. leaned on his knees as umpire Larry Vanover signaled safe after the first pitch of the ballgame. Guerrero fumbled a grounder that went unrecovered as Bradley Zimmer scampered down the line.

Stripling threw over to first twice, trying to erase the unearned runner, but it didn’t matter. An Amed Rosario groundout, Bobby Bradley fly ball, and nifty Santiago Espinal pick-and-toss along the third-base line ended the opening frame.

In Toronto’s seven games since returning to Canada, no Blue Jay starter has allowed more than two earned runs and they’ve earned the win in six. Shutout innings from your fifth and sixth started should be applauded, but there’s a rotation decision coming. Someone’s going to lose their job and Stripling and Matz haven’t made the choice easy.

"What I like about it," Montoyo said. "If we make a move it's gonna be a tough decision, which is great. It's what we want."