The beating goes on for Braves' Miller during record run of futility
Atlanta Braves right-hander Shelby Miller was on the verge of baseball immortality when he lost a no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins on May 17.
Coming so close to a permanent place in the major league record books was a bittersweet moment for Miller, but teammate Todd Cunningham put the near-miss in perspective: "It's good when you can be disappointed about a complete-game shutout," Cunningham observed.
Little did Miller and his teammates realize how much that game would serve as an omen for what was to come. The victory improved Miller's record to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to a major league-leading 1.33 en route to earning a slot on the National League All-Star team.
It also marked the last time Miller won a game.
On Monday night, facing that same Marlins squad, Miller permitted only one run over seven innings but saw his victory drought extend to a staggering 19 starts - extending his franchise season-single record.
"I’ve never seen anything like it, to tell the truth," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "The more I’ve seen this, the more I believe that, forget about the wins and losses for a starting pitcher."
Miller's run of futility is more perplexing given his overall numbers. He currently owns the seventh-best ERA (2.56) among starters in the National League but is 0-11 with a 3.13 ERA during the historic skid.
Oh, and those 11 consecutive losing decisions in one season also matched an 80-year franchise record set by Ed Brandt of the Boston Braves in 1935 while the 19-start dry spell is by far the worst in history for any pitcher who was named to an All-Star in that season. Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan is next on the list with a 13-start drought.
"All of those stats are great, and you want to put up great stats and be the best you can be, but at the end of the day it's all about going out there and competing," Miller said after his latest setback.
Miller's teammates have been more than supportive of his efforts but they aren't helping him get back into the win column. Atlanta has produced two runs or fewer in 14 of the 19 starts and has failed to score more than three runs in Miller's last 15 trips to the mound.
"We talk about it on the bench, kind of laugh about it," Gonzalez said. "There’s a guy in Toronto (Drew Hutchison) who’s got the opposite record and he’s got like a 5.00 ERA. I can’t explain it."
(h/t AJC.com)
Shelby Miller has lost 11 consecutive decisions, the longest by a #Braves pitcher in a single season since 1935 (Bostons Ed Brandt; also 11)
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) September 1, 2015
