Bobby Miller: Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Has a Ringing Endorsement for Rookie Starter
Bobby Miller had thrown two quality outings over the course of his initial foray in the majors.
He'd shut down NL contenders in the Atlanta Braves and stymied the rebuilding Washington Nationals, allowing only four hits and one run in each start, while showcasing the fastball capable of reaching triple digits along the way -- the one that made him the top pitching prospect in the Dodgers' organization.
Surely, he'd hit the rookie wall though.
He'd take his lumps against the New York Yankees in primetime. Definitely, right? Throwing against Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo would be too much for him.
Too much for the 24-year-old just getting used to the feel of the Dodger Stadium mound under his spikes.
Wrong.
After allowing two walks in the first inning, Miller quickly found his bearings, racking up seven strikeouts over his six innings of work, allowing just one hit, and showcasing a hard slider on Sunday, showing he can just be more than a one-pitch righty -- and making veteran hitter Anthony Rizzo look overmatched in the process.
Not bad for a guy with just 17 innings of major league work.
It was a showing that not only confirmed that Miller both can and should play a significant role for the Dodgers moving forward, but also earned him the praise of manager Dave Roberts, as he said postgame according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.
“Man, he’s really impressed,” the manager said. “I can’t say enough about what Bobby’s done for us. I think he is of the mind that every start is an audition and continue to stay hungry and go out there and compete and let things take care of themselves." (via Jack Harris of the LA Times)
As for the bright lights of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball and facing a marquee franchise like the Yankees, Roberts was impressed with Miller's composure.
“This is the most adrenaline he’s probably ever felt, the biggest game for him [of his career],” Roberts said. “And he just handled it so well.” (via Jack Harris of the LA Times)
When he pondered the totality of Miller's time with the big club, the sentiment was similar from the longtime manager and former MLB veteran in his own right.
“It’s a pleasant surprise,” Roberts said later when asked how Miller has carried himself so far as a big leaguer. “Sometimes when you get here, the focus heightens or narrows even more. And I think so far with Bobby, that’s what we’ve seen.” (via Jack Harris of the LA Times)
Bobby Miller made the biggest statement of his early MLB career on that Sunday evening in Los Angeles, looking less like a rookie getting wide-eyed by the moment, and carrying himself more how a longtime veteran would during his scoreless outing.
These are just the first moments of him in the majors, but surely there will be many more big moments to follow.
And Bobby Miller has more than proven that he can live up to the expectations that come with a primetime moment.
