Andrew Miller owns Robinson Cano

Andrew Miller and Bill ChuckIt's rare to find as good a batter as Robinson Cano befuddled by a pitcher, but in baseball parlance Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller owns Robby.

The Yankee lineup right now may be the worst in the AL East, but when you have Cano in the lineup, anything positive can happen.

Except when Miller is on the mound.

In the bottom of the 7th inning of Opening Day in the Bronx, amidst a sea of mediocrity, the Red Sox held a 5-2 lead. Inexplicably, Francisco Cervelli walked to lead off the inning. To the dismay of new Sox manager John Farrell,  Brett Gardner also walked, sending Cervelli to second and bringing the tying run to the plate.

After pitching coach Juan Nieves visited the mound, Eduardo Nunez was called out on strikes.

Up steps Cano, the only legitimate hitting threat in the Yankee lineup.

• Miller starts him with an 85 mph slider that breaks far outside and Cano looks helpless as he swings and misses.
• Cano then swings and misses on a four-seam fastball, again on the outside of the plate.
• On the third pitch, Miller doesn't get it where he wants and leaves the fastball on the inside of the plate, Cano gets in front of it and rips it foul.
• After a discussion with his catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Miller throws the fastball down and in the dirt, away from Cano. The next pitch is again away from Cano and the strike zone. Then on the 2-2, Miller powers it one more time and gets the swing-and-miss strikeout.

Cano, in his career, is now 1-for-10 with one single, one walk, and five strikeouts.

Over the last five seasons, including Opening Day 2013

• Cano has seen 34 pitches from Miller, 20 fastballs, 14 sliders.
• There have been 21 strikes. 
• Cano has swung at 15 and missed four.
• He's put four in play and fouled off seven.
• There have been 14 pitches in the zone with Cano chasing six with six strikes called.
• His only hit off of Miller came last season on a soft line drive to center that Cano reached for and was lucky to make contact with. It was the only line drive that Cano has managed off Miller in the last five years.

Cano has hit James Shields at a .413 pace going 31-for-75 and he's 12-for-25 (.480) against Clay Buchholz.

If they were smart, they would have an ownership discussion with Miller.

Comments

Well, Dustin Pedrioa is 0-10 against Mariano Rivera ...