Blue Jays: Ross Stripling flirts with perfect game in return from IL

While history wasn’t made for the Blue Jays earlier today, Toronto Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling had one hell of a day to remember.

Fresh off the 10-day IL, the right-hander was lights out through the first six innings, striking out seven Orioles batters and not allowing a hit or a walk until a Cedric Mullins single up the middle ended the perfect game bid. Stripling had been generating weak contact and numerous ground balls for most of the night and it was a weak liner up the middle that ended it all. The Blue Jays have one no-hitter in franchise history with Dave Stieb holding the then Cleveland Indians out of the hit column on September 2nd, 1990.

Obviously not seeing history unfold against a pesky Baltimore Orioles squad is unfortunate but Stripling had such an impressive outing in a game where he was on a pitch limit in the 80-90 area and in a time when Jays fans were needing something to hold onto amongst the current skid.

In his first start since ending up on the IL, Blue Jays pitcher Ross Stripling flirted with a perfect game until the seventh against the Orioles.

At the time of being pulled in the seventh inning, the Jays batters had once again failed to help their starter, mustering just two hits through the game while also stranding a Bo Bichette leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth.

Stripling has been one of the Jays’ more consistent starters alongside Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman, authoring a 3.16 ERA through 23 appearances with 15 of those starting coming in today’s start against Baltimore, taking over for Hyun Jin Ryu when the southpaw went on the IL after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

His 1.6 BB/9 is currently on pace to match a career-best set in his 2018 All-Star campaign (only to be improved upon after today’s start) while he sports a 3.02 FIP and a 1.101 WHIP through 82.2 innings coming into today.

After today’s stellar performance, Stripling improves to a 2.93 ERA and has held opponents to a .229 batting average. With Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Berrios struggling to find consistency this season, the Blue Jays will need Stripling to continue throwing quality outings as they try to stay within the AL Wild Card race.