CHICAGO — Mason Miller’s final two pitches to Seiya Suzuki within the seventh inning have been clocked at 102.1 and 102.7 mph. Suzuki swung and missed on the final one for strike three.

It seems Miller was solely warming up.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander performed a starring position in a dominant efficiency by San Diego’s bullpen in a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, sending their NL Wild Card Sequence to a decisive third sport.

Miller got here in after Adrian Morejon pitched 2 1/3 excellent innings in reduction of Dylan Stop. After fanning Suzuki, he reached 104.5 mph on a known as third strike to Carson Kelly that was the quickest pitch within the postseason since Statcast began monitoring in 2008.

“I imply that is my fastball. That is my regular, I assume,” Miller mentioned. “That is feeling, throwing it by a man.”

Miller simply saved going. He struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong taking a look at a 90.5 mph slider for the ultimate out of the seventh. He fanned Dansby Swanson and pinch-hitter Moisés Ballesteros within the eighth earlier than departing after hitting Michael Busch with a slider.

“He throws 104 and throws a number of sliders with that,” Crow-Armstrong mentioned. “Altering pace like that and also you’ve received 14 mph, 15 mph, generally 16, 17 off his greatest pitch, that’s at all times going to be robust. … That’s why he’s right here.”

The 27-year-old Miller rose to prominence with the Athletics after he was chosen within the third spherical of the 2021 novice draft. He made the AL All-Star group final yr, ending with 28 saves and 104 strikeouts in 65 innings.

He was acquired by San Diego in a July 31 commerce, making a formidable again of the bullpen for the Padres.

“It is enjoyable,” Miller mentioned. “It is useful for all of us that we’re capable of match up. … Everyone’s capacity to go one-plus (innings) has been actually useful, too.”

Miller made his postseason debut in Sport 1 on Tuesday, putting out the facet within the seventh. The eight straight Ks tied the postseason report set by Josh Hader in 2022.

“I believe you have got your concepts on what one thing is, however till you go on the market and play, that feeling’s not one thing that may be replicated, for certain,” Miller mentioned about his first postseason expertise.

Robert Suarez changed Miller with Busch on first. He retired Nico Hoerner on a liner to proper, ending the inning.

Suarez allowed Kyle Tucker’s one-out single within the ninth earlier than Suzuki grounded right into a game-ending double play.

“All these guys are actually particular with their arm expertise, Morejon, Miller, Suarez, however the spectacular factor is that they have pitches,” Padres supervisor Mike Shildt mentioned. “They’re pitching, and so they’re not going to make a scenario larger than it’s. That claims quite a bit for them. It’s a separator.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb