Stripling did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing two runs on five hits over 4.2 innings against the Pirates. He struck out six and did not issue a walk.
Stripling worked into the fifth inning, deeper than he's gone into a contest since May 7. The right-hander missed six weeks this season with a back injury and is just now building up to something resembling a normal starter's workload, tossing 72 pitches Friday. He's unlikely to face hitters a third time in any outing, but Stripling seems to be trending in the right direction. He's allowed a total of five earned runs with 14 strikeouts against one walk in 13.1 innings since his return.