(Sports Network) - The Arizona Diamondbacks are hoping Wade Miley's previous
performance was just an aberration and he will revert back to his commanding
ways tonight in the opener of a four-game series with the NL West-rival Los
Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field.
Miley was selected as a reserve on the National League All-Star roster, but is
coming off an unfavorable performance his last time out. In Saturday's 10-2
drubbing at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, Miley was
stroked for eight runs and eight hits, including a season-high three home
runs, in only 3 2/3 innings. He had won two straight and six of eight starts.
"Obviously, today I don't think he had his best stuff," D-backs catcher Miguel
Montero said of his battery mate. "Eventually he's going to have games like
that. He's a human being. It was not a good outing. He was still battling and
he was still competing. Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way he
wanted."
Miley, the first D-backs rookie to make the Midsummer Classic, fell to 9-4 in
16 games (13 starts) this season and his earned run average slightly climbed
from 2.19 to 2.87. The left-hander defeated Los Angeles on May 15 in a 5-1 win
and tossed 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball. In two career games (1 start)
against the Dodgers, Miley is 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA.
In eight home appearances (6 starts) this season, Miley sports a 6-1 mark to
go along with a 2.33 ERA.
Arizona was swept in three games by San Diego to begin a seven-game homestand
and has lost five straight overall and seven of nine contests. In Wednesday's
8-6 loss that solidified the sweep for the Padres, Ian Kennedy gave up four
runs and nine hits in seven innings in the no-decision and David Hernandez was
dealt the loss for surrendering two runs in the eighth inning.
Jason Kubel hit a three-run homer and Willie Bloomquist finished 3-for-5 with
an RBI and a run scored for Arizona.
The Dodgers were able to re-claim the top spot in the NL West -- one-half game
ahead of San Francisco -- with Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds in
the finale of a three-game series at Chavez Ravine. The Giants lost at
Washington earlier on Independence Day.
Los Angeles starter Aaron Harang stymied his former Reds team with seven
innings of one-run ball and struck out five batters. Ronald Belisario and
Kenley Jansen each threw a scoreless inning of relief and combined for five
strikeouts, with Jansen posting his 14th save.
"I felt really good. I stayed through the ball. I felt I had control of the
game," Harang said.
Luis Cruz and James Loney had RBI singles for the Dodgers, who have won three
of their last four contests following a seven-game skid. It's the first time
Los Angeles has won consecutive games since June 9-10 at Seattle.
The news wasn't all good for LA, as shortstop Dee Gordon suffered a dislocated
right thumb on a stolen base in the eighth inning. X-rays revealed no break
and Gordon is scheduled to have an MRI Thursday.
"I stole third and I actually don't know what was caught, but I think it went
underneath the base," said Gordon, who tallied his major league-leading 30th
stolen base. "It was a weird play and a weird thing happened. I felt I hit
something real hard and got up and looked at my batting glove and it looked
big. I looked at my finger and it was not a good sight."
The Dodgers put right fielder Andre Ethier on the 15-day disabled list
Wednesday with a left oblique strain and reinstated second baseman Mark Ellis
off the DL. Ellis had suffered a left leg injury on May 18 and underwent
subsequent surgery. Slugger Matt Kemp played in his second rehab game for
Class A Rancho Cucamonga and played center field. Kemp was the designated
hitter in his first rehab stint.
Los Angeles went 3-4 on a seven-game homestand and hopes to snap a four-game
road losing streak in the desert tonight. It has dropped eight of nine games
outside of Dodger Stadium.
Once again Dodgers young starter Nathan Eovaldi tries for his first win of the
season Thursday and is 0-5 with a 4.61 earned run average in seven starts. He
owns just one win in his career (1-7) and pitched 5 1/3 innings in Saturday's
5-0 loss to the New York Mets, allowing five runs and seven hits. The right-
hander is 0-3 in four road starts in 2012, but is 1-0 with a 6.14 ERA in four
career games (1 start) against the Diamondbacks.
LA has won three of five matchups with the D-backs this season and is 6-3 in
the past nine meetings between the division foes.
The Sports Network