"Poor, poor, pitiful me." -Warren Zevon
The Atlanta Braves knew what they were doing when they let Jason Heyward's expiring contract go to St. Louis for young righty Shelby Miller this past off-season. While most saw currency as the driver of the deal, GM John Hart knew that Miller was worth every bit of Heyward and that he'd be Atlanta's at a discount for at least four more seasons.
Now Miller is 5-10 and hasn't recorded a victory in 16 starts dating to May 17, back when Jeb Bush was the Republican presidential nominee. He's absorbed eight losses and eight no-decisions during that time and the Braves have lost 13 of the 16 games.
So is Miller putting the team in the hole early or is he fading as games go on? Well, neither.
Even during the losing streak, Miller has pitched to a 3.03 ERA and averaged six-and-a-third innings, which accounts for a lot departures for pinch hitting. His worst stinker was a five-inning, five run performance in Colorado in which he walked one and fanned seven. Five times he's lasted seven frames and limited the opposition to a run.
As you might imagine, the Braves' lineup has proved feckless in those 16 games. They've contributed one run or none in half of Miller's starts, and delivered more than three runs just twice -- after Miller left the mound.
For the season, Shelby Miller sports a 2.43 ERA with two shutouts and four wins against replacement. His accomplishments on the hump just haven't been reflected in game scores.
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