Miller struggles with Akron

Indians reliever yields four runs

Andrew Miller probably won’t remember his first rehab appearance in Akron with any fondness.

Pitching with the Double-A RubberDucks, the Indians reliever struggled against the Altoona (Pa.) Curve.

With the score knotted at 2-2 in the top of the seventh inning, Miller was summoned to replace Akron starter Sean Brady with one out and a runner at first base.

The first batter Miller faced, Christian Kelley, measured a 2-2 pitch and smacked a solid single to right field. It was a portent of trouble to follow for the 6-foot-7, 205-pound southpaw who has been on the disabled list since May 26 with right knee inflammation. Miller faced five Altoona batters. He gave up two hits, hit a batter and walked another. He’d thrown 24 pitches, 12 for strikes, and had allowed two runs to score when Akron Manager Tony Mansolino made the slow walk to the mound and called for reliever Argenis Angulo. The firsts of those runs was charged to Brady.

The bases were loaded as Miller made his way to the Akron dugout. All three baserunners scored on a two-run single and an RBI double, upping to four the number of earned runs charged to Miller.

When the smoke cleared, the Curve had a 7-2 lead. It was 8-2 in the top of the eighth when the ballpark went dark because of a power outage in downtown Akron.

It has been an injurymarred season for Miller, a 13-year-veteran who made his major-league debut with Detroit in August 2006. He also was on the disabled list from April 26 to May 11 with a strained left hamstring.

In 17 appearances this season for the Indians covering 14 1/3 innings, Miller is 1-3 with a 4.40 ERA. He has 23 strikeouts while giving up 10 walks.

He made three previous rehab previous appearances with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, giving up one run on two hits in three innings.

The 33-year-old lefthander from Florida has been a stalwart in the Indians bullpen since he was obtained in the July 2016 trade deadline deal with the New York Yankees. Cleveland gave up frontline minor-league prospects Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, J.P. Feyereisen and Ben Heller

Miller paid immediate dividends, combining with set-up man Bryan Shaw and closer Cody Allen to give the Indians a formidable back-end trio.

In the Indians postseason run in 2016, Miller in 10 appearances covering 19 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs on 12 hits, notched 30 strikeouts and issued five walks.

Miller was especially effective in the 2016 American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

He earned Most Valuable Player honors after blanking the Bue Jays in 7 2/3 innings.

He had 14 strikeouts and did not surrender a walk as the Indians won the best-of-seven series, 4-1, to advance to the World Series against the Chicago Cubs.

He was named to the American League All-Star team in 2016 as a member of the Yankees and returned in 2017 while playing for the Indians.

Miller is in the final year of a four-year, $36 million deal he signed with the Yankees in 2015.

He will be a free agent at the end of the 2018 season.