masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgAs Andrew Miller joins the Orioles bullpen tonight, he gives the team another power lefty for late in the game.

Zach Britton is ready to welcome Miller to the team and the ‘pen.

“He’ll be a good addition,” Britton said this afternoon. “We watched him throw for Boston and everything we’ve heard from our hitters, he’s a tough at-bat for lefties and righties.

“Anytime you have a tall lefty with the angle that he gets with the velocity and movement on the slider, it’s a very…As Andrew Miller joins the Orioles bullpen tonight, he gives the team another power lefty for late in the game.

Zach Britton is ready to welcome Miller to the team and the ‘pen.

“He’ll be a good addition,” Britton said this afternoon. “We watched him throw for Boston and everything we’ve heard from our hitters, he’s a tough at-bat for lefties and righties.

“Anytime you have a tall lefty with the angle that he gets with the velocity and movement on the slider, it’s a very uncomfortable at-bat from what I hear from our guys. They are happy that he is with us.”

Miller joins a bullpen that has pitched to an ERA of 1.41 over its last 10 games.

Like Britton, Miller is effective against both left- and right-handed hitters. Britton had a theory as to why that is the case.

“I think it’s the starter background,” Britton said. “You look at Miller and he was a starter and a really prized prospect coming up. I don’t think of it any differently as a reliever. When I was starting, I faced mostly righties.”

Interesting take that both Britton and Miller, who were starters before, have seen enough right-handed batters through their careers and that helps them get those hitters out now.

On the other side of the clubhouse today, Manny Machado talked about Miller’s addition.

“I’m glad he’s on our side,” Machado said. “A great addition to this team. We had a great bullpen. Now we have a spectacular one. Glad he’s on our side and I don’t have to face him anymore.”

You couldn’t talk to Machado today without mentioning his defense and some of the spectacular plays he’s made recently. Several came at the expense of Angels slugger Albert Pujols.

“I guess he wants me to be on SportsCenter, I guess,” Machado said. “He’s hitting the ball well, all those were hit sharply. It’s funny, he got to second base when he hit that double over my head. He said, ‘Hey, catch that one,’ in Spanish. Just playing the game, trying to make plays and help my team win.”