Dodgers rely on deep rotation against Diamondbacks Injuries did not just alter the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation in Thursday's season opener, they also will play a role when the team plays host to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second game of the season Friday.After Hyun-Jin Ryu started for the Dodgers on Opening Day on Thursday in place of an injured Clayton Kershaw (shoulder inflammation), Ross Stripling is the unlikely starter for the second game as probable Game 2 starter Rich Hill recovers from a left knee sprain.Stripling, a National League All-Star from a year ago, will square off against Diamondbacks left-hander Robbie Ray, who has the job of picking up the pieces after Arizona pitching was rocked for eight home runs Thursday, a major league record for a season opener.Diamondbacks right-handed starter Zack Greinke gave up four of those home runs in Arizona's 12-5 defeat. It at least gives Ray an idea of the hard swings ahead.Ray is coming off a season where he was 6-2 in 24 starts with a 3.93 ERA after a dominating 2017. He worked through an oblique injury last season."This year, he's a different guy," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, according to mlb.com. "His stuff is really standing out. It's coming out hot and I know he worked hard to make that happen. So we're looking for him to have a big year." Five of the Dodgers' eight home runs on Thursday did come from left-handed hitters, so at least Ray seems to be operating from the preferred side of the mound. But the Dodgers still got two home runs from right-handed hitter Enrique Hernandez and another from Austin Barnes.Stripling also has a challenging task ahead: matching what Ryu did in his first-ever Opening Day start. Ryu gave up just one run on four hits with eight strikeouts in his six innings.Stripling was solid this spring, delivering a 2.76 ERA over 16 1/3 innings (five starts). He moved into the starting rotation in May of last year and still had enough time to make the All-Star team by going 8-2 with a 2.08 ERA in just shy of 100 innings. But his ERA was 6.41 in the second half."I was really proud of what I was able to do in the first half, how I helped the team stay in it when guys got hurt and things were going south as far as the starting pitching," Stripling said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "And then to get really fatigued and not be able to find myself after the All-Star break was tough." Stripling had his issues with the Diamondbacks last season, going 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in seven appearances (two starts). And the fourth-year pitcher has just one career victory (four losses) in 18 career appearances against Arizona with a 4.46 ERA.Ray was 1-0 against the Dodgers in two starts last season, giving up three earned runs in 10 1/3 innings. He showed in 2018 that he was able take advantage of the free-swinging Dodgers lineup, recording 16 strikeouts.Ray's seven career victories against the Dodgers are his most against any one team. He has taken the loss against Los Angeles just three times in 15 starts, posting a 2.68 ERA with 121 strikeouts over 90 2/3 innings.--Field Level Media
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