A manager’s controversial choice in the bottom of the ninth may have cost Team USA a World Baseball Classic title, but the blame is being pointed squarely at a $2 billion MLB franchise. While fans questioned manager Mark DeRosa for not using star pitcher Mason Miller in Team USA’s close defeat to Venezuela, DeRosa backed his decision with strategy, player rules, and the role of Miller’s team, the Padres.

“Honoring the Padres,” Mark DeRosa explained. “Had we taken the lead, he was coming in, but I wasn’t going to bring him in to a tie game.”

It all started when Team USA was tied 2-2 against Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic final.

Bryce Harper hit a home run in the eighth inning to tie the game, but then, in the ninth, Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch.

Whitlock allowed a walk and then a hit from Eugenio Suarez that gave Venezuela the lead, and Team USA lost 3-2.

That’s when fans wondered why Mason Miller did not pitch. Miller had been excellent in the tournament, pitching four innings without giving up a run, striking out nine batters, and even earning a save in the semifinal against the Dominican Republic.

Yet, DeRosa had a tough choice to make.

Apparently, the Padres had a rule that Miller could only pitch in a “save situation,” which means when the team is ahead and protecting a lead. But since the game was tied, it did not count as a save situation. Venezuela’s closer, Daniel Palencia, too, had a similar rule.

Whitlock gave up a run, letting Venezuela take the lead. And Team USA could not score after that. Missing out on a player like Miller is a major setback for the team.

The guy didn’t let any runs score, struck out 10 batters in four innings, and no hitter got a hit off him in 12 tries.

He dominated last year with the Padres after a mid-season trade, boasting a 0.77 ERA with just two earned runs allowed in 23.1 innings. He anchored the bullpen, featuring 104+ mph velocity, a 1.29 ERA in the postseason, and eight consecutive strikeouts to start his playoff career.

Even though it’s disappointing, following these rules keeps Miller safe and makes sure teams will let him play for Team USA in the future. On Monday, the Padres clarified that it’s still not certain if he will pitch in Tuesday’s WBC final.

Padres manager Craig Stammen noted, “Not ruled out, not decided,” and explained that they check how every pitcher feels after each game before deciding when they can pitch again.

Given that the regular season is about to start, the MLB franchise had no choice but to be careful.

Mason Miller’s career graph is the reason behind fans’ questions

Mason Miller, who pitches for the San Diego Padres and Team USA, is enjoying a grand MLB career.

In his first three years, he played 125 games, allowed very few runs (2.81 ERA), struck out 246 batters, and walked only 65. He also saves 50 out of 57 games he tries to close.

He made the All-Star Game in 2024 while playing for the Athletics, the team that picked him in the 2021 draft. Last season, the Athletics traded him and JP Sears to the Padres for four other players.

After joining the Padres, Miller had an amazing end to the season.

In 22 games, he allowed almost no runs (0.77 ERA), struck out 45 batters, and walked only 10. This makes him one of the best and most feared relief pitchers in baseball.

Undoubtedly, it was hard for fans to watch a player of his caliber sitting on the sidelines during a crucial moment.