Dodgers confident handing ball to rookie in Game 2: 'He's ready'

LOS ANGELES -- When the Dodgers called up Bobby Miller back in May, there were legitimate questions as to whether the talented right-hander was ready to handle the every-start grind of the big leagues.

Miller, who is widely considered the best pitching prospect in the organization since Walker Buehler, didn’t have much success in Triple-A before his callup and was limited to just four starts in the Minors this year because of a right shoulder injury that held him out of Spring Training.

Over the past few months, however, the perception around Miller has changed drastically. He has answered just about every challenge thrown at him this season. Though Clayton Kershaw got the Game 1 start, Miller has been the Dodgers’ most reliable starter in both length and production.

Now, Miller’s toughest test of his career is here. He’s tasked with keeping Los Angeles from falling behind 0-2 in the National League Division Series against the D-backs when he takes the mound in Game 2 on Monday at Dodger Stadium.

• D-backs-Dodgers NLDS Game 2 FAQ

“I’m just really excited for Monday, and just treating it like another game,” Miller said. “I want to win every time I’m out there anyway.”

The reality is that, especially with the Dodgers’ lopsided loss in Game 1, Monday’s start won’t be just another game for Miller. He said his nerves were the highest during his Major League debut against the Braves and last month in Seattle against the Mariners. Miller was stellar in both of those outings, finding a way to fight through those nerves.

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But as the Dodgers were reminded in Game 1, rookie nerves in the postseason are real. James Outman, who has been a fantastic defensive center fielder in the second half of the season, overran a ball to start the game, which started the six-run spiral and Kershaw's implosion in the first inning. After the game, Outman admitted that he thought the nerves of his first postseason game got the best of him.

Those nerves will also be there for Miller. That’s normal for someone making their postseason debut. Controlling those emotions was an issue for Miller early this season. Over the past few months, however, with this particular moment in mind, staying calm in those situations was the biggest hurdle Miller had to overcome in his development.

“When stuff starts to go in the deep end, just not let the game speed up on you, slow it down a little bit, take a quick step off the mound, deep breath and just find something comforting mentally to cheer you up a little bit,” Miller said. “And just know that it’s a blessing to be here.”

• Dodgers, D-backs raise the stakes in Game 2

Does that approach change for a pitcher making his postseason debut?

“You just don’t know until you know,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I expect him to have some nerves. I think that’s a good thing. That’s normal. But once you get out there, you make your first pitch, I would assume that things kind of slow down. That’s kind of my expectation.”

Coming into this series, the Dodgers had a pitching plan laid out. It was going to be unconventional, but it all started with Kershaw and Miller giving them quality starts whenever they’re out there. As the saying goes, everybody has a plan until the other team lands a punch.

And the blow the D-backs landed in Game 1 was felt throughout Dodger Stadium.

For the Dodgers' response in Game 2, five or six innings from Miller would go a long way. He has been consistently getting the Dodgers deeper into games, but the club would be more than satisfied if he gets through Arizona's batting order twice.

That would allow Roberts to set up his bullpen, which the Dodgers believe is their biggest strength coming into the postseason. In the second half of the regular season, the Dodgers' bullpen had a 2.26 ERA, which was the best mark in the Majors. Some of that was aided by starters pitching in relief behind openers, but a lot of that was the work of Evan Phillips, Ryan Brasier and Brusdar Graterol.

But it’ll all start with Miller. It’s a moment the Dodgers envisioned. Maybe it’ll be something the right-hander has to do many more times in a long and successful career. On Monday, however, it’ll easily be the biggest game of his life.

“He’s ready,” said Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. “Just from the first start he made this year to where he’s at now, the mound poise, the way he’s commanding the baseball, how he’s attacking hitters -- we feel pretty good about him.”