And the Rockies never stopped en route to a 9-6 victory. They assaulted Miley for eight runs and 11 hits in three-plus innings.
Ten days ago, in his previous start, Miley pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians, using 114 pitches to complete it.
And there was idle chatter about Cincinnati’s Johnny Vander Meer’s back-to-back no-hitters in 1938, the only time it has been accomplished in MLB history.
This game, though, was played in Coors Field, where a no-hitter has never been pitched because baseballs fall in the expansive outfield like raindrops.
Because of the effort it took in that game and all the distractions afterward, the Reds moved Miley’s start back one day, giving him an extra day of rest.
Miley gave up a run in the first, but the Reds scored two in the second to take a 2-1 lead.
Colorado then scored seven unanswered runs off Miley, four in the third and three more in the fourth.
The first five Rockies in the third reached base on a walk and four straight singles. The first four Rockies in the fourth reached base on two singles and two doubles.
And that was it for Miley, whose earned run average climbed from 2.00 to 3.60.
After scoring two runs off Colorado starter German Marquez, the Reds went silent through the sixth inning, punching three spread-out singles.
They finally scuttled Marquez in the seventh when Shogo Akiyama singled and Jonathan India homered for the second straight night, cutting the lead in half to 8-4.
The Rockies retrieved one of those runs in the bottom of the seventh on a down-range home run to left field by Garrett Hampson, who also homered Thursday in Colorado’s 13-8 victory.
When pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson opened the eighth by getting hit by a pitch and Eugenio Suarez crushed one headed for Colorado Springs, a 450-foot home run, it was 9-6.
And there were murmurs about another eight-run eighth inning like the one the Reds perpetrated Thursday. But it didn’t materialize.
Reds right fielder Nick Castellanos was given the night off, so manager David Bell shifted Jesse Winker from his usual left field spot to right field. Shogo Akiyama played left and contributed a two-hit night, as did Tucker Barnhart and India.
Relief pitcher Art Warren made his Reds debut in the bottom of the eighth and pitched around two walks to keep the Rockies off the board. Warren, a Napoleon, Ohio native and University of Cincinnati product, was lifted off the taxi squad on Friday morning. Pitcher Sal Romano was designated for assignment.
Alex Blandino led off the ninth inning with a walk against Colorado relief pitcher Daniel Bard, but Tyler Naquin hit into a double play and Winker grounded out to end it.
The Reds couldn’t overcome Miley’s off night and the Rockies 15-hit attack. Hampson, Charlie Blackmon and Yonathan Daza each collected three hits.
It was the second straight loss by the Reds to the Rockies, owner of the worst record in the National League. And it dipped the Reds to 17-19.
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