Cleveland Indians: Andrew Miller’s weekend nothing to panic about

Cleveland Indians reliever Andrew Miller had a rough outing in the World Baseball Classic, but Indians fans should not worry too much about it.

For Cleveland Indians fans not watching the World Baseball Classic, the headline to this post may be a bit confusing. But those who are watching know what it means.

Saturday saw Team USA take on the powerhouse that is the Dominican Republic, and USA actually held a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th inning.

Enter Andrew Miller, who came in and immediately hit Jose Bautista. Then he allowed a hit to Cleveland teammate Carlos Santana. We have seen him work out of jams before, but a three-run home run to Nelson Cruz was the final result, giving the Dominican team a 6-5 lead that they would never surrender.

Miller went on to allow another home run, a solo shot to Starling Marte, before being pulled from the game.

Team USA is still into the next round of the tournament, but this performance may have spooked Indians fans who fear Miller may not be the same player he was last year. But one outing in March, against a dominant squad, has no bearing on how his year will go.

Indians fans only witnessed Miller from August onward last season, but 2017 will be different. With Miller being here for an entire season, there are likely going to be instances when he allows home runs, or even loses a game or two. It happens to every MLB pitcher, and it will happen to him.

Fans must remember that while he is still a dominant pitcher, he cannot be perfect every night. That is especially true for games in March, when he is still working to get back into game-shape after pitching into November.

Next: Breaking down the AL Central race

Consistent performances like the one he had on Saturday would be something to worry about, but this one instance should not cause fans any stress. And he will have time to regain some momentum this week as the tournament continues.