Baseball is an interesting game, and the players all have interesting backgrounds. In 2012, a phenom rookie pitcher emerged in the desert. Few knew who Wade Miley was out of SLU when he was drafted as a top pick. Yes, SLU, not LSU. SLU is Southeastern Louisiana University where Miley was selected in the 1st round in 2008 by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The lefty pitcher was a workhorse, and he dominated the NL West that season, and got 12 first place votes in the Rookie of the Year voting where he got edged out by some kid named Bryce Harper who got 16 first place votes. Miley, like Harper, was also named an All-Star in the 2012 season.
Since that great 2012 season for Miley, he had a good 2013 season but since then his pitching stats have worsened year over year. He currently has an ERA of 9.53, but is also capable of throwing the occasional gem as the Cubs found out, and the Royals, and the Indians, and before he was traded to the Orioles, Miley also shut them out. This is Wade Miley, the master of inconsistency. Miley should have a fresh arm as he didn’t even get through the 2nd inning in his last start, and we will see what he looks like in this game.
Miley and Max Scherzer were teammates in the Diamondbacks system, and once played on the same 2009 Visalia Rawhide team in A-ball.
The Nationals are the 4th best team in MLB versus lefty pitchers with a .790 OPS. Expect Dusty Baker to take advantage of that in his line-up.
Tanner Roark gets the familiar start amidst a losing streak. The Nats have lost 3 in a row, and if you recall it was Tanner Roark on June 26th who stopped that dreadful losing streak. Roark is used to being the stopper, and has emerged as one of the best pitchers in the National League. Roark did not have the pitching pedigree of Wade Miley or for that matter any of the other Nationals’ starters. He is a blue collar type of pitcher who grinds out starts. Those who appreciate that rare mixture of finesse and power can appreciate Tanner Roark. Continue reading
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