Andrew Miller, a solid contributor since joining the injury-riddled Red Sox rotation, entered Friday night’s start in Tampa Bay with a 3-0 record and a 3.57 ERA. However, there were indications that a bad night was coming.
Miller had faced three relatively weak National League teams in his first three starts with Boston and then had an uneven, albeit victorious, outing against Baltimore his last time out. In his first start against an American League East team, the lefty walked four, struck out none and continually had to work out of trouble in five rocky innings.
Miller’s WHIP after those four starts was 1.59. He had not struck out a position player in over nine innings, walking seven in that span. Opponents, who included those watered-down NL lineups, were hitting a healthy .291 against him.
Facing the Rays in Tropicana Field, that bad night finally came, and with it possibly more questions surrounding the Red Sox rotation.
In 2 2/3 ineffective innings against Tampa Bay, Miller gave up seven runs on five hits and five walks in a 9-6 loss. He ran his ignominious streak without a strikeout to 49 batters. There have been nine walks in that span.
Without looking at the numbers, Miller has a pretty good clue as to what’s been going on.
“Being more aggressive in the zone early on,” he said when asked what he needs to do to fix things. “I think I’m not doing it on purpose but it seems like I’m just missing off the plate or [not] hitting the corner. I’m never missing over the plate. I think what got me back here was being aggressive in the strike zone. I’m not doing that right now. I’ve got to do a better job.”
Miller has had career-long issues in the first inning. At times, as has been the case in his first four starts, he has managed to overcome some early struggles. In this one, it was only a harbinger of things to come.
The southpaw retired Johnny Damon to start the bottom of the first, but needed a diving grab by Marco Scutaro to get the out. Then came firm indications that Boston’s starter severely lacked command.
Miller walked the next two men he faced, setting up the first run of the night on a B.J. Upton single to center. Miller opened the next frame by allowing a single to Kelly Shoppach, who started the game hitting .168, and walking Elliot Johnson, the owner of a lofty .205 mark. One out and one defensive miscue later and the bases were loaded for Ben Zobrist, who had no problem turning around a first-pitch hanging changeup for a grand slam.
It was not difficult to offer up a concrete analysis of the primary problem.
“He had a lot of walks,” manager Terry Francona said of Miller. “His strike-to-ball ratio wasn’t bad, but he bunched his walks together and in the one inning with the grand slam, we got two walks and a bunt that we don’t get the out, and one good swing and it’s a crooked number. That’s a tough way to win.”
Zobrist’s blast made it 5-1. Two singles and two walks against Miller in the third led to two more runs and the Red Sox never got closer than the final margin, despite four home runs of their own. The early deficit was just too much to overcome.
In the end, it’s just one bad start for Miller. He will get his chance to bounce back in five days at Baltimore. Perhaps then he can provide Boston with some signs of better days to come, rather than indications that another bad night is right around the corner.
