Stripling makes best start for Lookouts

With barely 100 innings under his belt as a pro, Ross Stripling has made it look pretty easy. Friday was no exception.

The Dodgers' No. 18 prospect gave up two hits and struck out four over eight innings as Double-A Chattanooga blanked Montgomery, 5-0, at AT&T Field.

Stripling (5-1) did not walk a batter and faced just one over the minimum. After giving up a leadoff single to Kevin Kiermaier to open the game, he 15 in a row before Hector Guevara doubled with one out in the sixth inning.

The 23-year-old right-hander was promoted to the Southern League on May 11 after going 2-0 with a 2.94 ERA in six starts for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga. In nine games with the Lookouts, he has a 2.34 ERA that would rank fifth in the league if he had enough innings to qualify. Overall, he has 78 strikeouts over 83 2/3 innings.

Stripling wrapped up a particularly effective month, having won his last four starts and compiling a 2.12 ERA in June.

An All-American in 2011 as a junior at Texas A&M, he's benefited from improved control at the Double-A level, issuing only six walks in 42 innings after walking 11 batters in 33 2/3 innings in the California League. He has not issued a free pass in five of his nine games for Chattanooga.

Jharel Cotton tossed a perfect ninth to finish off the Lookouts' league-leading ninth shutout.

Dodgers No. 3 prospect Joc Pederson followed up a two-homer night with two hits and two runs scored, while Bobby Coyle drove in a pair of runs for Chattanooga.