LOS ANGELES _ The Los Angeles Dodgers' six-game losing streak entering Sunday was not a product of one problem. A medley of dilemmas, some constant and some isolated, helped concoct the jarring downslide after an explosive start. Starting pitching, however, stood atop the list.
Before taking the field Sunday, a Dodgers starting pitcher hadn't lasted more than five innings in a game in 11 days, back when nearly a week's worth of losses in a row seemed unimaginable. Ross Stripling provided that performance April 3, and he provided another one when the Dodgers desperately needed one in a 7-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.
Boasting a fastball hovering at 90 mph, Stripling stymied the Brewers over eight innings. He kept Milwaukee off the board until Eric Thames hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. He secured the 24 outs with 88 pitches, struck out three batters and walked one. It was the right-hander's longest outing since he didn't give up a hit over 7 1/3 innings in his major league debut in 2016.
The Dodgers' bats showered Stripling with early run support, scoring six runs against right-hander Jhoulys Chacin to prompt his exit in the third inning. Cody Bellinger drew three walks and singled to raise his on-base percentage to .500 while adding a stolen base and difficult plays at first base. Alex Verdugo contributed a two-run single and a solo home run. Chris Taylor went two for four with a double and a two-run single.
The day began with the Dodgers announcing another roster transaction designed to bolster their taxed bullpen: Josh Sborz was called up from triple-A Oklahoma City and Dennis Santana was sent down. The swap was made after Santana threw 45 pitches Saturday, rendering him unavailable for at least the next two days. The Dodgers are carrying a nine-man bullpen but didn't have the luxury to wait for Santana to recover after using six relievers in Saturday's bullpen game. So they switched healthy right-handed relievers with Oklahoma City for the second time in four days.
Sborz joined a bullpen that had logged 67 1/3 innings entering Sunday, the second-most relief innings in the majors behind the Oakland Athletics. The burden has been immense because Dodgers starters haven't carried their weight. Entering Sunday, Dodgers starters _ a sample that includes Caleb Ferguson's scheduled abbreviated start Saturday _ were tied for 26th in the majors in innings per start at 4.8. They were tied for 28th in pitches per start at 79. Their 4.81 earned-run average ranked 20th.
Injuries to Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu, the remaining starters' struggles, and the Dodgers' demanding early schedule _ they're playing 24 games in 25 days to start the season _ led to an 8.37 ERA during the six-game skid.
"You win with pitching and you sustain winning with starting pitching," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. "And if it's not there, odds are against you. So if you do look back at the last week and a half, the length, the quality start, we're just not getting right now."
Stripling became the first Dodgers starter to pitch into the eighth inning this season. His counterpart was long gone by then.
The Dodgers initiated their onslaught on Chacin with two outs in the first inning. Bellinger walked, A.J. Pollock singled and Max Muncy walked to load the bases for Verdugo. The rookie came through with a two-run single up the middle.
In the second inning, Joc Pederson launched a two-out moonshot just fair down the right-field line for his sixth home run to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. The margin doubled in the third inning and Chacin didn't survive it. Bellinger led off with another walk before Pollock and Muncy recorded consecutive singles. Two batters later, Taylor's line-drive single to right field pushed Pollock and Muncy home. The two-run blow bounced Chacin, who gave up six runs and six hits, and threw 63 pitches in 2 1/3 innings.
Stripling didn't toss his 63rd pitch until the sixth inning when he was in the midst of retiring 10 consecutive batters. Jesus Aguilar snapped the run with a leadoff double in the eighth inning. Stripling walked the next batter and Thames delivered a sacrifice fly to spoil the shutout bid, but the damage was limited.
Stripling walked off the mound to an ovation. Congratulatory hugs and handshakes waited for him in the dugout. He'd given the Dodgers what they needed.
