One blown save on Sunday was all it took to turn Mason Miller from the Padres’ biggest weapon into the biggest question mark of the night. San Diego entered the ninth inning holding a 3-2 lead, but Milwaukee quickly made Miller look unusually vulnerable, loading the bases before Jackson Chourio delivered the game-winning two-run single.
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But there was something even more unsettling about Miller’s ninth-inning struggles. The Brewers appeared almost too comfortable against him.
With Milwaukee seemingly sitting on his pitches, speculation of a possible pitch-tipping issue quickly surfaced. When Craig Stammen was asked whether there was any truth to those suspicions, he didn’t exactly shut them down.
“We got a crew of people that are dedicated to that every single day. That is their sole job. And so we’re well aware of what’s going on with our pitchers, well aware of what’s going on with the Brewers’ pitchers, and how they do things. So it’s a part of our daily acumen.
The internet can go crazy and take things farther than they need to go, but we feel good about our process within that situation,” MLB insider Marty Caswell quoted Stammen.
Called upon by Stammen for a rare six-out save, Miller cruised through the 8th inning on just 12 pitches. However, in the 9th, his dominant 1.67 regular-season command completely evaporated, culminating in the first three postseason walks of his career and a dramatic walk-off hit.
However, the speculation is that Miller’s pitch tipping started with his arm positioning and glove angle.
Miller operates on a two-pitch mix, relying strictly on a triple-digit fastball and a sharp slider. Hence, any microscopic change in his setup gives the hitter a massive 50/50 guessing advantage.
The real shift in the inning happened the exact moment Christian Yelich stole second base.
From second base, a runner has a direct line of sight right into the pitcher’s glove. Furthermore, the statistical evidence following the steal is glaring:
The Brewers did not swing and miss at a single Mason Miller slider for the remainder of the inning.
Batters were confidently letting the sliders spit out of the zone for balls, forcing a heavily taxed Miller to pump fastballs, which ultimately set up Jackson Chourio to sit on a 101.3 mph heater for the walk-off hit.
And from what Stammen shared, the Padres may also have been aware that Miller tipped his pitches.
Miller’s pitch-tipping speculation is now trending on social media, especially X.
“I didn’t do my job today,” Miller said, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.
“Instead of being here with a win and the series tied, we’re in a hole.”
Among the total 40 pitches thrown by Miller, only 21 were for strikes. His struggle on Sunday was real, and it could prove costly for the Padres.
Per Cassavell, in MLB postseason history, teams that faced a 0-2 deficit in the Division Series won just 10 of 93 series. The Padres will now enter Game 3 with that deficit. Apart from facing the Brewers, the Padres need to fight against the historical odds, too.
The Padres are making roster moves before Game 3
The biggest sigh of relief for the Padres fans ahead of Game 3 is the return of Walker Buehler.
Nick Pivetta is scheduled to start Game 3 on Tuesday night, while a returning Buehler remains an option out of the bullpen or as a potential starter for Game 4 if the series continues.
Buehler is famously known for thriving under October pressure, carrying a stellar 3.04 career postseason ERA. If the Padres can take the series to Game 4, a dominant start from their end is expected.
Miller thinks it is still possible.
“The series isn’t over,” Miller exclaimed.
“We’ve got another shot to play in two days. We wouldn’t be in this position — in this series — if we hadn’t been able to move past difficulties and challenges. That goes for the group. But that’s also going to go for the individual — for me.”
In July, the Padres were three games under .500 with a paper-thin rotation, a thoroughly underwhelming offense, and a struggling bullpen. The hope for their playoffs was gone.
But then, from their 50-53 record, they went on to win 39 of their next 56 games by September. They defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 and clinched their 3rd consecutive playoff berth.
The road was never smooth. Now, the Padres’ hopes rest on Pivetta’s Game 3 start and Buehler’s potential bullpen contribution.