Cleveland Indians: The helpless feeling of watching Andrew Miller struggle

The Cleveland Indians have struggled mightily against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Andrew Miller can be added to the list of those playing poorly.

Andrew Miller entered Tuesday night with an ERA of 0.29 after allowing just one single run all season. He enters today’s game with an ERA of 1.60.

Miller has been charged with a total of five runs in the first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, although his defense and bullpen didn’t help him much on Wednesday night.

Regardless, it is tough to watch Miller struggle. Add in the fact he has allowed home runs in back-to-back games and some fans may be looking to the sky and questioning just what exactly is going on.

To be clear, Miller is human and is bound to have rough outings every so often. He just spoiled us with his great play throughout the past year.

Yet when he does struggle, it provides for a helpless feeling.

There are plenty of Indians players struggling right now, but a player like Miller is looked to as a beacon of light when things go wrong. The offense may be bad, along with the starting rotation, but Miller can seemingly come in at any time and defend any lead.

He has created an aura of invincibility around himself, so seeing him allow runs in back-to-back games almost shatters the legend we have all created since he was acquired a season ago from the New York Yankees.

Miller is too great a pitcher to let two rough games ruin him, but it is going to take some time for fans to once again build up the extreme sense of confidence every time he steps on the mound that was broken down the past two games.

The great reliever is far from being the sole reason for the team’s woes, but fans watch him struggle and realize things are even worse than previously thought.

The nice thing about baseball is that a team can change the narrative in a matter of days, with the same being true for the players. Miller likely won’t pitch this afternoon, but he will be needed this weekend in a crucial four-game series against the Minnesota Twins.

Next: Minor league review for May

One great weekend for the team and Miller against the division-leading Twins and the title chase is back on. Let’s just hope that ends up being the case.