HEADLINE

Miley to make Astros debut against Rays

Field Level Media

March 31, 2019 at 2:18 am.

Wade Miley will make his Houston debut when the Astros visit the Tampa Bay Rays in the finale of their four-game series on Sunday afternoon.

The 32-year-old left-hander signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with Houston on Feb. 1. The Astros hope Miley will fill some of the void left by the departures of starters Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchel.

Morton signed with the Rays in the offseason and then beat the Astros on Friday night, allowing two runs and three hits over five innings in the 4-2 win. Keuchel remained unsigned as of Saturday.

Wiley is looking forward to being part of an Astros rotation that includes Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander, who led the Astros to the 2017 World Series title.

“My motivation (to sign with Houston) was it’s a good ball club and we have a chance to win a World Series,” he told reporters in spring training. “That’s where it ends right there.”

Miley signed with the Milwaukee Brewers before the start of last season, was called up from the minors in early May and went 5-2 with a career-best 2.57 ERA in 16 starts.

“I hope to keep it going,” Miley said. “I’m looking forward to working with these guys here. It’s going to be a pretty easy transition.”

The Rays have won two of the first three games of the series to knock the Astros under .500 for the first time since June 20, 2016. Tampa Bay will be trying to start 3-1 for the first time since 2012.

Yonny Chirinos is scheduled to start on the mound for Tampa Bay.

Seven of the 18 appearances for Chirinos last season were starts and he finished 5-5 overall with a 3.51 ERA. Chirinos has never faced the Astros.

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said the Rays will need to rely on their depth on Sunday and throughout the season.

“Some teams are built differently,” he said. “One way to win is run eight guys out there for 155 games. … That’s not the way we’re built, so we’re going to continue to find ways to have these guys get opportunities.”

Miley pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2011-14, then spent the next three seasons in the American League with the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners before playing in Milwaukee last season.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch said he likes that Miley is familiar with AL hitters. Miley is 4-5 in his career against Tampa Bay with a 3.36 ERA in 12 starts.

“I’m pretty confident that he’s going to keep us in games,” Hinch said. “He’s going to do his job as a starting pitcher, which is to get to the middle or latter third of the game with a lead. That’s what we ask of any of our guys and he’s equipped to do that.”

The Astros could have All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa back in the lineup for his season debut on Sunday. Correa, the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, missed the first three games with a neck injury.