Shelby Miller notches 1st win at Chase Field

Carlos Santana’s shift-beating single rolled into center field and two runs scored off Shelby Miller in the second inning on Friday night. It was the kind of moment that, a year ago, likely would have been the beginning of an unsightly unraveling for the Diamondbacks’ right-hander.

But Miller escaped the inning, returned to the dugout and regrouped. He dominated in the third and fourth innings and pitched into the sixth, and while his final line in the Diamondbacks’ 7-3 win over the Cleveland Indians was nothing special – three runs in 5 1/3 innings – the outing represented a victory in more ways than one.

It was Miller facing adversity and staring it down. It was a pitcher who didn’t record a win at Chase Field all last season doing so in his first time out this year. It was a fresh start in a new year.

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Miller said, jumping into his answer before a reporter had finished the question. “I didn’t pitch good at home last year at all. We didn’t win, either, at home last year. … Playing this good early is so fun. Hopefully we continue to do that. We will.”

BOX SCORE: Diamondbacks 7, Indians 3

After games during a painful 2016 season, Miller stood dutifully at his locker while reporters asked question after question. He had no answers, and at times he looked to be on the verge of tears. His start on Friday was just one game, but in his mind it appeared to carry more significance than that.

“It feels good,” he said.

The Diamondbacks have played five games. They have won four of them. They have rallied from deficits in each of their victories, seemingly following some carbon copy of a script, struggling early before storming ahead in the middle innings.

RELATED:Diamondbacks’ bench comes up big in first week

They keep delivering key hits. They keep putting pressure on their opponent. They keep getting competent relief work from their revamped, patched-together bullpen. And they keep winning, beating teams – first the San Francisco Giants, now the Indians – that were alive into October a year ago.

“Anytime you win a game, it doesn’t matter how you do it,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re going to celebrate it and feel it and touch it and enjoy it and try to come out and do it again tomorrow.”

Miller, whose fastball sat mostly in the mid-90s and touched 98, was overpowering for stretches. He mowed through the middle innings, at one point retiring 10 in a row, exhibiting the kind of dominance he never did last year in any of his 10 starts at Chase Field, where he posted a 7.39 ERA.

Miller said his turnaround on Friday night could be attributed to increased use of his curveball, a pitch that helped get Indians hitters off his fastball and cutter.

“Once I started flipping that in and showing that I’m going to throw that, it made them not as comfortable in the box,” he said. “I think maybe if I used it a little earlier I could have got out of some jams and not had that second inning be so explosive.”

From there, the Diamondbacks’ hitters again carried the load. They scored twice in the fourth off Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin then exploded for five more in the fifth, stringing together hits borne of tough at-bats and hard-hit balls. Yasmany Tomas doubled twice. Paul Goldschmidt drove home two with a double of his own, a shot that one-hopped the wall in center and gave the Diamondbacks their first lead.

RELATED:Paul Goldschmidt feeling ‘normal,’ which is good

“I’ve faced them in the past for years and years and always thought highly of them and what they’ve been doing so far is so impressive,” Miller said. “We expect it almost; it’s kind of weird. They’re so good. They don’t quit. They don’t give up on at-bats. That’s one through eight. All of them are grinding out every single inning, every single out. For us as a pitching staff, bullpen, we appreciate how hard they work and I’m definitely glad they’re on our team.”

Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.