The USA was cruising for much of Saturday night’s World Baseball Classic game against the Dominican Republic, taking a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth at Marlins Park.
The Dominican Republic got three runs off Tanner Roark over the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, but Team USA still appeared to be in good shape with relief ace Andrew Miller entering the game in the bottom of the eighth. But, that certainly didn’t go as planned.
Miller hit Jose Bautista with a pitch and allowed a single to Carlos Santana, before having an 0-2 count on Nelson Cruz. The left-hander threw a slider that didn’t have the bite it usually does, and Cruz smoked it down the left field line for a three-run tater:
😱😱😱 @ncboomstick23!!! #WBC2017 pic.twitter.com/maibFAgddW
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 12, 2017
After Miller finally recorded an out, the first pitch he threw to Pittsburgh Pirates star Starling Marte was crushed for an opposite field solo homer:
☄️☄️☄️ @Starlingmart with some insurance for the Dominican Republic! #WBC2017 pic.twitter.com/oqPoAjZ7dG
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 12, 2017
By the way, the last time Andrew Miller gave up four runs or more in a relief appearance: Aug. 25, 2012, before he was Andrew F'n Miller.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 12, 2017
Andrew Miller allows HR to Nelson Cruz and Starling Marté of Dominican Republic
He had allowed 2 HR in relief only once in his MLB career
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 12, 2017
A crazy come-from-behind 7-5 win for the Dominican Republic, and a brutal night for Miller.
But let’s keep in mind that the Indians’ reliever just pitched 74 1/3 innings in the 2016 regular season, followed by 19 1/3 more innings in the postseason, which of course went into Game 7 of the World Series in November. He probably shouldn’t even be pitching any meaningful innings right now, and chose to play in the WBC while tons of American superstars chose to sit it out:
Trout, Harper, Donaldson, Bryant, Betts, Kershaw, Bumgarner, Syndergaard, Arrieta, Lester, Sale, Britton, Davis, etc. https://t.co/ZjAVnHxbBw
— Matt Clapp (@TheBlogfines) March 12, 2017
The USA (1-1) will look to rebound with a win against Canada (0-2) on Sunday night, while the Dominican Republic (2-0) will take on Colombia (1-1) on Sunday afternoon.
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