After four stellar starts to begin his major league career, the Dodgers rookie went crashing back to reality on Saturday.
In the team’s 15-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants, Miller was charged with seven runs in 52/3 innings, unable to overpower hitters with his fastball, fool them with his breaking pitches or escape high-leverage jams the way he had during his first month in the big leagues.
Instead, after entering the night with a 16-inning scoreless streak, and keeping the Giants off the board through the first four innings, the 24-year-old first-round pick faced his first bout of big league adversity.
He gave up four runs in the fifth inning, then was part of a five-run outburst in the sixth.
Saturday was the definition of a team loss for the Dodgers, who managed just six hits, got more shaky performances from the bullpen and suffered their worst home loss of the season — getting booed by portions of the crowd at one point en route to their most lopsided defeat since 2013.
Yet, it was Miller’s struggles that felt most concerning for a pitching staff that has been lacking consistency from almost everyone else.
Entering Saturday, the flame-thrower had looked like a young star in the making, carrying a 3-0 record and 0.78 earned-run average into his first taste of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
After he worked out of some early danger, however, Miller’s command and composure escaped him in the fifth inning.
The inning began with a five-pitch walk to Luis Matos, with Miller spraying the ball wide of either side of the plate. While Miller bounced back with a strikeout of Patrick Bailey, Matos stole second and advanced to third on a bungled pickoff between Miller and shortstop Miguel Rojas, who wasn’t in position to catch the pitcher’s throw back to second base.
From there, things quickly escalated.
Brandon Crawford pulled an inside fastball to right for an RBI single.
A clearly frustrated Miller plunked Casey Schmitt in the next at-bat.
Then, in his first big mistake as a major leaguer, Miller hung a first-pitch curveball to LaMonte Wade Jr., serving up a three-run homer that went almost 400 feet.
The Giants’ Luis Matos scores on a a double by Patrick Bailey as Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes takes a late throw during the seventh inning.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
The sixth wasn’t much better. Miller issued another leadoff walk, then gave up a pair of singles to push across a run. With two outs and the left-handed-heavy top of the Giants order due up, manager Dave Roberts decided to turn to the bullpen, tasking Alex Vesia with escaping the inning.
Vesia could not, walking his first batter before giving up a grand slam to J.D. Davis.
Injury updates
Neither David Peralta (hamstring strain) nor Chris Taylor (knee pain) were placed on the injured list Saturday after leaving Friday’s game early. Peralta was available off the bench Saturday, Roberts said. Taylor won’t play again until at least Tuesday after getting a cortisone shot.