Cards 2B Miles fares well at on the mound

Aug 5, 2007 - 4:46 AM By Tim Hipps PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Aaron Miles had not pitched since he was a 14-year-old Babe Ruth Leaguer.

But that did not stop Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa from sending Miles to the mound to pitch the eighth inning Saturday during a 12-1 loss to the Washington Nationals.

"I didn't know who to pitch and (pitching coach Dave) Duncan said: 'Who's our shortest reliever?' That's pretty obvious, it's Miles," LaRussa explained of the move. "So you're right, Dunc. I applaud him for his sense of humor when we're getting our butt beat like that."

Miles, who measures 5 feet, 8 inches, was up for the task - not that he had much say in the matter.

"Yeah, I guess he meant that literally," Miles said of Duncan's call to pitch his 'shortest' reliever. "Tony just told me I was going to throw the eighth, so I was surprised, but when he tells you to do something, you do it. Yeah, I pretty much knew he was serious. I wouldn't have volunteered for it, but he comes to tell me and I'm going to do it."

LaRussa didn't say much to Miles before handing him the ball.

"I just told him: 'Don't throw too hard. A little fastball, a little changeup, but don't throw too hard," LaRussa told his infielder. "(Brad) Thompson has pitched three out of four days - you can't send him out there in the eighth inning. Miles went out there with seven pitches and got three outs. You explain it."

Miles certainly could not explain it.

"I just wanted to throw strikes and not walk a bunch of people," he said. "I'd never done it before and I'm surprised with the results. I don't throw hard enough for the ball not to sink. I just grabbed it and threw it, and thankfully it went over the plate."

Miles got the ball over the plate well enough to retire Ryan Zimmerman, Dmitri Young and Austin Kearns in order.

"I've never done that before so I didn't think it would go that smoothly, that's for sure," Miles said with a grin. "I was just throwing the old sinkerball that I turn the double-play with usually."

Zimmerman, who had two home runs earlier in the game, admitted that he felt clueless batting against Miles.

"It's always tough when a position player throws against you because you have no clue what to expect," Zimmerman said.

"It's amazing that I got out of the inning without anybody getting on, but I've got to give it up to the bullpen," Miles concluded. "They told me the slower you throw, the better, and they were right."