SEATTLE -- He might not have the volume of the sport’s other top starters, but at this rate, Bryce Miller sure looks like an All-Star.
After another dynamite performance for the Mariners in Thursday night’s 1-0 win over the Angels, Miller might be making a late case to be selected to this year’s Midsummer Classic on July 14 in Philadelphia.
Seattle’s electric and affable right-hander carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, racked up eight strikeouts and -- for the fourth straight start -- did not issue a walk. The lone blemishes against him were two soft singles in that final frame, each of which were playable but would’ve necessitated pretty remarkable defensive catches.
Nolan Schanuel laced one 67 mph into no-man’s land in shallow right field that ended the no-hit bid, as three Seattle defenders all arrived but a moment late. Then, Denzer Guzman yanked one in the same area that nicked off Weston Wilson’s glove, as the replacement right fielder attempted to make a diving catch.
Wilson had taken over for Luke Raley, who moved to center field in the fifth inning after Victor Robles and Julio Rodríguez were both forced to exit.
Miller wasn’t the only one dealing, either, as Angels starter Walbert Ureña also didn’t surrender a hit the first five innings. J.P. Crawford had the first hit of the entire night with a leadoff double in the sixth inning, which led to a bases-loaded opportunity that Cal Raleigh capitalized on with a nine-pitch RBI walk.
Other than that, neither team had anything else going.
As for Miller, he now has a 1.71 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 62 strikeouts and just five walks through 55 2/3 innings since making his regular-season debut on May 13. That covers eight starts and one piggyback relief appearance, a May 25 win in West Sacramento, after missing the season’s first seven weeks with a left oblique strain.
All-Star bids for starting pitchers are typically strongest for those with the workload to match top-end production, and Miller has pitched roughly half the innings of the American League’s top workhorses. That said, given how many arms that drop out or are unable to pitch in the Midsummer Classic due to regular-season scheduling, Miller might have a strong case to be considered.