Shelby Miller felt good after solid second start for D-backs

TEMPE, Ariz. — One of the more difficult things to judge in spring training is pitching, because often times hurlers are more concerned with working on specific pitches than getting outs.

Still, it never hurts to see results, and for D-backs right-hander Shelby Miller, Thursday’s effort in a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels was certainly a step in the right direction after a rough first start with the team last Saturday.

“I felt good,” Miller said after the game. “I felt like we did a decent job getting ahead in the counts — I know I fell behind to a couple of hitters and kind of had a long third inning, but other than that, feeling like the arm feels great and that’s what I’m working on right now.

“Trying to stay healthy and, obviously, work on some pitches as well. But overall, I felt good.”

Miller allowed one run on four hits with one walk and one wild pitch in three innings. The run, while earned, was only possible when the Angels’ Daniel Nava recorded a double on a fly ball Arizona outfielder Rickie Weeks lost in the sun.

“That’s part of the game,” Miller said. “I mean, guys lose balls in the sun all the time. I know when I’m out there shagging (fly balls) it ain’t easy to see them when the sun is in your eyes, and that’s probably what happened with Rickie. Those things happen.”

While Miller was unable to pick Weeks up by getting out the inning, he settled in with a clean second inning before running into some trouble in the third.

A leadoff double by Johnny Giavotella was erased when Miller picked him off of second, and then a Yunel Escobar single was followed by a walk to Nava. However, Miller got Trout to pop out to second and Albert Pujols to ground out to short, ending the threat and the pitcher’s day.

Pitchers of course do not want to find themselves in a jam like that, but for Miller, being able to get out of it says something.

“They’re testing you out there always,” he said. “That’s a tough lineup to face; they’ve got some great players and, you know, you see some of the guys they have in the lineup, they’re not pushovers.”

Indeed, and while results — good or bad — are not necessarily how you judge a pitcher’s spring, there are most definitely things every pitcher looks to do in every outing.

For the 25-year-old Miller, now is the time to work on his off-speed pitches and cutter.

“So it’s just the little things that you’re trying to work on,” he said. “It’s still early in spring training, so you get to take advantage of this time trying to find things to tune the pitches in for the season, and we’ve still got a ways to go.

“For where we’re at now, I feel comfortable and confident and my goal is to keep moving forward and work on things we’re doing now.”

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