Bryce Miller seems to halt Mariners’ slide in essential begin vs. Dodgers

Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller will match his season start total from a standout rookie campaign on Tuesday, although he already has improved on some impressive marks from a year ago.

Miller will take the mound on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday with a 9-7 record and a 3.29 ERA in 24 starts, giving him one more victory and more than a full earned run less per nine innings than he had last year. His 128 strikeouts are an improvement by nine over his 2023 total and his average of seven hits per nine innings is 1.5 better than a year ago.

He made his lone career start against the Dodgers last September when he allowed four hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He was left with a no-decision in that contest, so a win on Tuesday can top it.

Miller enters Tuesday’s outing after consecutive scoreless starts. He went six innings at home against the New York Mets on Aug. 9 and pitched seven frames Thursday on the road versus the Detroit Tigers. His nine strikeouts Thursday were one off his season high.

“I go out there, I try to put up a zero and see what happens,” Miller said following his outing against the Tigers. “I try to go as long as I can and be efficient. So, just trying to do my job and keep us in games and see what happens.”

Eight times this season, Miller has gone at least six innings without giving up an earned run.

After a 3-0 loss to the Dodgers on Monday, the Mariners are now 1-6 on a three-city, nine-game road trip that has done some damage in their effort to overtake the Houston Astros for the American League West lead. The Mariners were tied for first place as recently as Aug. 11 and have fallen to five games back entering play Tuesday.

The new-look Dodgers will send right-hander Walker Buehler (1-4, 5.58) to the mound for his 10th start of the season and second since he returned from a hip injury. Buehler had missed nearly two full years after a second Tommy John surgery and made a brief return before the hip began to give him trouble.

Buehler gave up four runs (three earned) over 3 1/3 innings on Wednesday in a no-decision on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Dodgers made two errors on the infield.

“Just from the eye test, he was out of sync,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think his throw was inconsistent, and obviously the delivery was inconsistent. He didn’t get Strike 1 very often. He was working behind hitters, and then you’re trying to find your way back into counts. It’s hard to live like that.

“I think you see, he’s still searching.”

Buehler is 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA in two career starts against the Mariners.

On Monday, outfielder Tommy Edman made his Dodgers debut following a late-July trade from the St. Louis Cardinals and continued recovery from wrist and ankle injuries. He went 1-for-3.

Max Muncy started at third base in his first game in three months after recovering from an oblique strain and hit a two-run homer in a three-run seventh inning.

Los Angeles also revealed that first baseman Freddie Freeman has a hairline fracture on the middle finger of his right hand. Despite the injury, Freeman played Wednesday and went 0-for-4 while batting third in the lineup.

The Dodgers lead the National League West by three and four games over the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively.

–Field Level Media