Bobby Miller turned in a dominant performance on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a series sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks with a pitching duel to close out the two-game set at Chase Field.
Both Miller and Merrill Kelly effectively shut down the opposing offenses. Each of them pitched six-plus shutout innings and allowed eight runners to reach base; with four hits and four walks from Miller, and six hits with two walks from Kelly.
While the Diamondbacks replaced Kelly with Kevin Ginkel in the seventh inning because of injury, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts planned to stick with the rookie.
Miller had thrown 84 pitches through the sixth inning, which allowed him to take the mound in the seventh for the first time in his career and gave him an accomplishment to be proud of, via SportsNet LA:
“Making it into the seventh was really big for me. I tried to give the bullpen a little bit of a break, as much as I can. Efficient at the start of the game, but there were still some walks in there that could’ve helped me go a little further if I didn’t walk as many guys. I know they’re a super aggressive team and swing a lot, so you kind of have to be in attack mode the whole game and hope they get themselves out. Defense was making really great plays for me as well.”
Miller has previously pitched six innings, most recently on July 22 when he exited at 85 pitches, and he’s now gone six innings six times in his career. Miller said earning the trust of Roberts to start the seventh inning this time out meant a lot to him:
“It means a lot. I mean, I never try to think I’m coming out of the game. Once I’m walking off the mound, I’m just thinking about the next batter and what we’re going to do to get strike one. But it means a lot for him to send me back out in the seventh and show that rust. I didn’t show too much emotion after getting out of that inning with second and third, nobody out. I did that last outing in San Diego, kind of showed a little bit too much emotion and adrenaline got super high. Maybe a little too high. I just tried to stay calm and focus on going deep in the game.”
Pitching into the seventh inning for the first time didn’t prove to be an ideal scenario for Miller, who gave up a single and walk before he was lifted from the game.
Still, Miller gave them a fourth consecutive game of a starting pitcher going six innings, and it added to his confidence which should be beneficial moving forward.
Caleb Ferguson picked up Bobby Miller
When Miller was removed with two on and no one out, Roberts turned to Caleb Ferguson to get out of the jam. Ferguson immediately turned a double play on a bunt attempt when he made a diving catch before getting up and throwing back to second base.
He then retired the side by getting Corbin Carroll to ground out to end the inning before the Dodgers went on to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the eighth inning.
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