Bryce Miller’s logic when it comes to pitch selection and game plan isn’t complicated.
In his easy southern drawl, he said a few weeks back: “I’ll keep throwing heaters until they start hitting them hard. I’m going to stay with my best pitch.”
As the first team to face the Mariners’ hard-throwing rookie for the second time this season, the Oakland A’s came into Wednesday’s game expecting Miller to throw mostly fastballs.
Using 80% fastballs, because, well, that’s what he does, Miller tossed six scoreless innings to help lead the Mariners to a comfortable 6-1 victory over the hapless A’s.
With the win, the Mariners improved to 25-24 and moved back over .500 for the first time since May 15. They will go for a sweep of the four-game series on Thursday with right-hander Logan Gilbert getting the start.
“Three in a row,” manager Scott Servais said. “That qualifies as a streak. We are streaking. Really good pitching by Big Tex. I don’t know what the nickname is going to be for Bryce Miller. It’s Miller Time or whatever you want to call him but he did an outstanding job tonight.”
Servais didn’t necessarily think that Miller had his best stuff or his best command since being called up. And he still delivered the Mariner’s 27th quality start this season.
“That fastball, it works,” Servais said. “It works at the top of the zone. Certainly Oakland had seen him before they knew what to expect and they still weren’t able to get on him.”
Why change for the sake of change?
“If it a
