All he needed was something to build on, something tangible he could taste, feel and see. Shelby Miller didn’t have to be lights-out perfect for the Diamondbacks on Thursday night in his third start since returning from Tommy John surgery and recovery.
He just needed to be better than he was the previous two times he took the mound. Considering how uneven and underwhelming those both went, that wasn’t asking for too much.
The Diamondbacks might not have been able to deliver against the San Diego Padres, getting thumped 6-3 in front of 17,928 at Chase Field, but Miller managed to build his bridge and find the positivity he so desperately sought.