Most pitchers would be thrilled to have Shelby Miller’s 2.97 ERA over his past five games. But those same pitchers also would probably pass on his 0-2 record in that span.
“If you wouldn’t have told me (about Miller’s winless streak) I wouldn’t have known that because he’s pitched that good for me,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said after the Braves’ 5-2 loss to the Red Sox on Thursday. “He gets an extra day here now with the off day, now on to the next one.”
Miller earned the loss Thursday night after giving up four runs (one earned) and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. He pitched three perfect innings to start the game, but then allowed the four runs before getting chased in the sixth inning. The three runs scored in the sixth were unearned as Juan Uribe dropped a pop fly in foul territory before Mookie Betts hit a single later in the at-bat.
“Those things happen,” Miller said after the game. “Obviously just bad luck. It’s something that you can get down on or say, ‘If it didn’t happen those four runs don’t score,’ and that’s just not the game of baseball. Those things happen, and I didn’t do a good job personally getting out of it. I gave up some hits over the middle of the plate that were pretty crucial at times, and they ended up putting together a good inning.”
David Ortiz hit a single of his own after Betts, and then a run scored on Hanley Ramirez’s double play. The next batter, Xander Bogaerts, scored Betts with a single and Alejandro De Aza chased Bogaerts home with an RBI double in the right-field corner.
In his most-recent start before Thursday, Miller tossed six scoreless innings before giving up three runs and leaving the game in the seventh down 3-1. The Braves came back to tie the score and pick up the win in extras.
“These past two games I’ve given up big innings, and I’ve kind of dug ourselves into a hole,” Miller said. “Last time we came back and won, which was great, but that’s not always going to happen. At the end of the day, I’m still upset about it. It’s my fault we lost.”
Miller’s other loss in his past five games came May 28 in San Francisco, when he allowed one run over seven innings in a 7-0 loss. The Braves’ bats haven’t given Miller much support during his winless streak, putting up 3.2 runs per game.
On June 8 Miller left with the 3-1 lead against the Padres after allowing one run on five hits over seven innings. But Jim Johnson and Jason Grilli blew the lead, handing Miller a no-decision in Atlanta’s extra-inning loss.
His one true subpar appearance in the streak came June 2 in Arizona when he walked six batters and gave up four runs on six hits before leaving with one out in the fifth. The Braves came back to take a 6-4 lead in the sixth before ultimately losing 7-6.
Miller’s strikeout numbers have tapered off during the winless streak, averaging a little more than three a game compared to about five a game in his first nine starts. In those first nine starts, Miller was 5-1 with a 1.50 ERA. After Thursday he’s 5-3 with a 1.99 ERA.
Miller’s next start is slated for June 24 on the road against Doug Fister (2-3, 4.80 ERA) and the Nationals.
