The good news for Diamondbacks pitcher Wade Miley is that he earned the starting nod on opening day, albeit due to an injury to teammate Patrick Corbin. The bad news is that he was forced to match up Saturday against super Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia. The result was predictable.
Miley performed decently, but was thoroughly outpitched by Kershaw in a 3-1 defeat. The Arizona southpaw surrendered three earned runs on three hits in five innings before his removal for a pinch-hitter. He was doomed by a two-run homer by Los Angeles outfielder Scott Van Slyke in the fourth inning, but he did strike out eight.
Miley could be destined for a clash against San Francisco when the Diamondbacks return to the United States for a regular season series. But the team has yet to announce its rotation for those games.