No sport has as many busts and flameouts as baseball. With so many rounds in the MLB Draft, not to mention four levels of minor league teams before reaching MLB, it's Darwin's survival of the fittest to make a major league roster.
Andrew Miller was a first round pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2006 and he was rushed to the big leagues (he made eight appearances for them that season which is insane). Perhaps not surprisingly, his career went off the rails and he was traded to the Florida Marlins (2008-10) where he didn't do much of anything notable.
Fast forward to present day and the tall lefty (6-7, 207 pounds) from the University of North Carolina is a spot starter for the Boston Red Sox. He didn't get a decision in his debut with his new team but his promising start has to make Red Sox fans dream that this talented guy can finally put it together with a change of scenery (15-26 career record, 5.82 ERA, 1.74 WHIP).
He went 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Miller departed after giving up a game-tying three-run bomb to Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson (3 hits) and ringing double to stud prospect Anthony Rizzo (obtained in the Adrian Gonzalez trade last winter) but Boston (44-28) turned it into a blowout with a 14-5 win over San Diego (30-44), which put more shine on Miller's start.
A 3-3 game in the seventh turned into a joke thanks to a bunch of awful performances by Padres relievers which enabled Boston to roll up 10 runs.
The biggest story line of the series is obviously Adrian Gonzalez's first trio of games against his former team. Gonzalez didn't disappoint, going 3 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs, including an RBI double and two-run single in the crazy seventh.
The Red Sox built a 3-0 lead on San Diego starter Wade LeBlanc (7 hits, 2 walks, 1 strikeout) before he left after three innings. Don't ask me how this terrible lefty has a job, even in the NL West and cavernous Petco Park. He throws complete junk, further proof that if you're a lefty pitcher, you have a much better shot to make it than garden variety right-handers.
Chase Headley went 4 for 5 with two runs for the Padres.
The Red Sox were led by Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz who had two hits and two RBIs while Dustin Pedroia scored three runs. Marco Scutaro had two hits and scored twice.
Boston had 14 hits and accumulated nine walks, a main reason why this nine inning game took a laborious nine innings and had NESN's Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo talking about soap operas and ties in the eighth and ninth innings.
Tonight could be more of a fair fight with Alfredo Aceves subbing for an ill Josh Beckett. San Diego sends Mat Latos (who is good but is having a rough season) to the mound. Oh who am I kidding, the Padres are awful and the Red Sox are the best team in baseball. Might be another ugly night for our visitors from the West Coast.
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