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May 5--MIAMI GARDENS -- If several years from now Andrew Miller has any recollection of Sunday's game, he hopes it's vague. That he helped deny Greg Maddux his 350th win notwithstanding, a hazy memory would probably mean this was just another early victory in a long, successful career.
"Win No. 7 is not that big of a milestone for me, I hope," Miller said.
Any win credited to Miller this season is big for the Marlins, who supported their lauded lefty's six-inning, two-run effort with 16 hits in a 10-3 thumping of the San Diego Padres at Dolphin Stadium. The series-winning victory came at Maddux's expense. Making his fourth bid at 350, Maddux allowed five runs (four earned) on 11 hits through 5 2/3 innings.
Maddux's 19 wins are the most ever by an opposing pitcher against the Marlins, but he has not beaten them since July 10, 2005. The 11 hits were the most he has allowed in 41 starts against them.
"He probably didn't feel like he threw that well, but for me he's one of the better ones obviously, and it's fun to go out there and face guys like that," said Cody Ross, whose sixth-inning single, coupled with Brian Giles' fielding error in right, produced his team's final two runs off Maddux.
Dan Uggla, who along with Mike Jacobs had a three-hit game, sent Maddux's first offering in the second over the National League scoreboard in left-center. Two innings later he doubled and scored the second of two Marlins runs in the third. In going 2 for 3 off him, Uggla can now boast seven hits in 13 career at-bats.
"He's going to just throw his stuff, pick the corners and let the guys get themselves out," Uggla said. "If he throws you some stuff early, I think you have to try and jump on it."
The Padres never were able to jump on Miller. After Adrian Gonzalez deposited an 0-2 pitch into the right-field seats for a two-out, third-inning solo homer, Miller sat down 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. Miller did not throw more than 12 pitches in any of his final three innings, this after going to three-ball counts on three of the first six batters he faced.
"I'm ecstatic that I was able to keep us in the game the whole time and keep the pitch count at a reasonable amount so we have options and I'm not forcing the hand of [manager Fredi Gonzalez] with the bullpen," said Miller, who threw 55 of his 88 pitches for strikes.
"I had to change my mentality a little bit ... try to pull all the thoughts out of my head that had been running through there and just throw the ball. I was pressing a little bit mechanically and thinking I need to do this and do that. I think that was taking the life out of some pitches and it felt like I may be guiding it a little bit."
Miller (2-2) exited for a pinch-hitter in the sixth with two on and one out, and the Marlins leading 3-2. His second win as a Marlin marked his first quality start (six innings/three runs or less) since last July 6 against the Red Sox as a member of the Tigers.
"I came out in a situation because the lineup dictated it and that's the way it should be, not because I'm giving up runs or I'm erratic or my pitch count is too high," Miller said. "It's a lot better feeling after this than some of the previous [starts]... By no means my best game or what I hope is my best game, but to give what's probably considered a pretty decent start is nice."
Juan C. Rodriguez can be reached at jcrodriguez@sun-sentinel.com
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