The San Diego Padres pulled off the trade deadline stunner, trading a top-three prospect to the Athletics in a blockbuster deal for Mason Miller. Since coming to San Diego, while he hasn't been the full-time closer, Miller has more than made his mark.
With the Padres heading to Chicago for the Wild Card round, the team needed to utilize its bullpen to its fullest. That included the Padres relying on Miller on back-to-back days. After his three-strikeout performance in Game 1, he was even better in Game 2.
He once again struck out three batters and dominated the Cubs' lineup to help secure the Padres' lead, forcing a winner-takes-all Game 3. Dennis Lin of The Athletic shared reactions from after the game to Miller's dominance, and multiple Padres teammates and coaches were in awe of his mastery against the Cubs.
Mason Miller shuts down Cubs, stuns Padres teammates amid dominant showing
"I don't think there's been a more dominant performance from what I've seen," Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. Niebla has worked with plenty of incredible relievers in San Diego this season, but none have been as dominant as Miller was against the Cubs.
"I was laughing a little bit today," Xander Bogaerts said. "I mean, it's not fair. Yeah, that ain't it. It's good to be on my side - it's great. But as a hitter, nah. That ain't it."
Facing a pitcher like Miller, who has a 104 mph fastball and 90 mph slider, is near impossible if he's on. Catching up to 100 mph is already difficult, and Miller can tack on an extra four miles per hour for good measure.
His pitch to strike out Carson Kelly, a 104 mph heater low and away on the outside corner, was arguably the perfect pitch. If he can locate with such velocity, getting hits off Miller is nearly impossible.
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Bogaerts' reaction sums it up nicely. Nobody wants to face Miller when he's on, and so far in his postseason debut, Miller has more than lived up to the hype.
This Padres bullpen is the reason they could go the distance this year. It's the best in baseball, and Miller is a huge reason why. His dominance against the Cubs showcased not just how great he is, but how he can take advantage of a game, even on the road.
For Game 3 of the NL Wild Card matchup between the Cubs and Padres, even after pitching each of the last two days, Miller is available out of the bullpen for the winner-takes-all matchup Thursday afternoon.
If the Padres can win and eventually play a game at Petco Park, Miller might be even more difficult to face with tens of thousands of fans cheering him on. The postseason brings out the best in players, and so far, Miller has more than delivered with his new team.
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