ATLANTA — Bobby Miller took some time to get spiffed up after his large league debut.
His Los Angeles Dodgers teammates celebrated Miller’s profitable efficiency with an impromptu beer bathe that expanded to incorporate another clubhouse condiments.
“Ketchup, mustard, relish, beer – there was pretty nasty stuff poured on me,” Miller stated, beaming at his locker after a hose-down. “I loved every second of it. It was awesome.”
Miller obtained began on what the Dodgers hope will probably be an extended profession within the majors by profitable a duel of hard-throwing pitchers. He allowed one run over 5 innings as Los Angeles cruised to an 8-1 victory over Spencer Strider and the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday evening.
J.D. Martinez and Jason Heyward homered for the Dodgers, who additionally obtained three RBIs from Will Smith.
But Miller was the one getting all the eye afterward. Cheered on by greater than two dozen household and mates who rapidly made the journey to Atlanta after his call-up from Triple-A, he hardly appeared like a man who was doing all of it for the primary time.
PHOTOS: Hard-throwing Bobby Miller strong in MLB debut, leads Dodgers previous Strider, Braves 8-1
“He was really impressive,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “I thought he showed a lot of poise. He did a great job of managing his emotions and showed just just enough edginess.”
Strider fanned 11 hitters so as to add to his MLB-leading strikeout whole – his fourth begin this season with double-digit Ks and tenth of his younger profession.
It wasn’t sufficient to greatest the rookie in L.A. blue, particularly after Strider (4-2) surrendered a second-inning homer to Heyward and the Dodgers wound up scoring two extra unearned runs that inning with an help from Matt Olson’s error.
Miller (1-0) took it from there. After a little bit of a shaky begin, the 24-year-old right-hander settled himself and blew away the Braves with a fastball that persistently clocked at 100 mph and a powerful slider and changeup that saved the house group off steadiness.
He surrendered 4 hits, walked one and struck out 5 earlier than turning it over to the bullpen. Four relievers labored one scoreless inning apiece to stifle the Braves.
Martinez made it a rout with a three-run homer within the ninth off Michael Tonkin.
One of the Dodgers’ prime prospects, Miller gave the massive league rotation a much-needed enhance with Dustin May and Julio Urias on the injured listing and Walker Buehler anticipated to overlook the season after Tommy John surgical procedure.
“We’ve got some runway now,” Roberts stated. “It’s exciting for this organization.”
Strider, the Braves’ mustachioed rookie sensation from 2022, got here into the sport main the majors with 86 strikeouts in simply 51 2/3 innings. Throwing within the higher 90s, he was hit arduous within the first two frames, giving up 4 runs – two earned – earlier than discovering his groove.
Strider retired 13 of the final 15 hitters he confronted, with solely Heyward reaching base on a stroll and a single. The right-hander completed his outing by hanging out the facet within the sixth – all swinging.
“Just a couple of pitches that I normally get away with,” Strider stated, “You normally get away with a few mistakes a game. Everyone does. I didn’t tonight. You’ve got to give them credit.”
The Braves’ lone run got here on Austin Riley’s two-out double within the backside of the primary, the five hundredth hit of his profession.
HARRIS WOES
The Braves gave slumping Michael Harris II an evening off, hoping a quick stint on the bench will assist the 2022 NL rookie of the 12 months get again on observe.
Harris is hitting simply .163 with one homer and 5 RBIs – a far cry from his dynamic manufacturing a 12 months in the past when he batted .297 with 19 homers, 64 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 114 video games after being referred to as up from Double-A.
“He needs a mental blow right now,” supervisor Brian Snitker stated. “A lot of times you can sit there and watch a game and hopefully, when they do that, they go, ‘Wow, it’s not as tough as I’m making it seem.’”
TRAINER’S ROOM
May (strained proper shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured listing and gained’t be eligible to return till after the All-Star break. The Dodgers additionally positioned RHP Tyler Cyr on the injured listing with shoulder impingement, retroactive to Sunday.
UP NEXT
The Dodgers will go for a sequence sweep Wednesday evening behind RHP Tony Gonsolin (2-1, 1.13 ERA), who has not allowed an earned run over his final three begins protecting 16 innings. He’ll be opposed by Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (3-0, 2.06 ERA).
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