Ross Stripling gets painful no-decision despite not allowing a hit

One week ago, most people didn’t even know who Ross Stripling was. The 26-year-old right-hander essentially came out of nowhere to earn a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation, and that was only because of the numerous injuries the Dodgers are currently dealing with.

What a difference a week makes.

On Friday, that same Ross Stripling nearly became a big part of MLB history after pitching 7.1 hitless innings in his MLB debut against the San Francisco Giants.

[Sign up for Fantasy Baseball | Play for $40K | Expert rankings | Mock draft ]

Stripling was five outs away from becoming only the second pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in his big league debut. However, rookie manager Dave Roberts elected to remove Stripling after he walked Angel Pagan. The walk was Stripling’s fourth of the game, and it put him at exactly 100 pitches, which is actually more slack than a first-time starter will usually get.

Roberts’ decision was immediately put under the microscope as fans and experts alike debated its merits. While some understood Roberts’ hesitation to ride a debuting pitcher to the finish line, especially considering the workload, others felt Stripling deserved the chance given how close he was to history.

What history will show now is that Stripling received one of the most gut-wrenching no-decisions ever. The very next batter, Trevor Brown, a rookie who was filling in for Buster Posey, crushed a two-run game-tying home run off reliever Chris Hatcher. The homer was the first of Brown’s career, and it sent AT&T Park into an absolute frenzy as San Francisco once again found its way off the deck.

Making matters even worse for Los Angeles, the Giants would go on to win the game 3-2 in ten innings on Brandon Crawford’s walk-off home run. Those two home runs would be the only two hits for San Francisco during the entire game.

Despite that result and the discussion that was going on around him, Roberts stood by his decision, noting that Stripling’s longterm outlook was more important than a single game.

Roberts said that Stripling was on a 100-pitch limit. Medical staff contributed to that decision. Removing him was “a no-brainer.”

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) April 9, 2016

(AP) For a rookie skipper, that’s a tough spot to be in during his first week on the job. To Roberts’ credit, he’s handled the decision and the fallout well, which bodes well for his future.

As for Stripling, he showed poised rarely seen from a pitcher in his position. He commanded the game from start to finish. He attacked when he needed to attack. More importantly, he got outs when he needed to get outs. That included inducing a big double play from Brandon Belt in the seventh inning.

[Elsewhere: Trevor Story writing unprecedented first chapter to Rockies career]

Stripling’s defense did a steady job behind him, even turning in a couple of highlight plays. Yasiel Puig had one early, diving to rob Matt Duffy of a sure hit in the second inning. Stripling only struck out four, so he absolutely relied on his defense.

It’s just a shame this outing will soon be a small part of history, rather than a lifetime memory. That’s baseball though. It will lift you up on cloud nine, and it will break your heart, sometimes in a matter of minutes.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports: