The San Diego Padres are staring down playoff elimination, already in an 0-2 hole in the NL Division Series after closer Mason Miller’s blown save sunk them in Game 2 with a 4-3 Brewers victory. Despite the crushing loss and the season now firmly on the line, Padres manager Craig Stammen is shutting down the internet buzz that Miller was tipping pitches to the Milwaukee lineup. He flat-out dismissed the widespread online speculation that the Brewers knew what was coming from their “vaunted closer” when Milwaukee rallied for two runs in the ninth.
Stammen Says They’re Not Worried
Stammen told reporters at Petco Park his team has a “crew of people” dedicated to pitch analysis “every single day.” He said, “That is their sole job. 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. It’s part of our daily regimen.” He brushed off the online chatter, saying the internet “can go crazy and take things farther than they need to go.” While he didn’t explicitly confirm that Miller wasn’t tipping, he definitely downplayed the whole discussion. “We’ve got a lot of guys on top of it, and we’re not really worried about it,” Stammen insisted. That’s a pretty bold claim when your All-Star reliever just threw only 21 of his 40 pitches for strikes over two innings, getting absolutely shelled when it mattered most.
Brewers’ Plate Discipline Shines
The Brewers, on the other hand, made Miller look lost. They repeatedly laid off his sliders and errant fastballs in the ninth. Christian Yelich, Sal Frelick, and Gary Sánchez strung together three walks without taking a single swing at a combined 17 pitches. Then Jackson Chourio stepped up, laid off a low 1-2 slider, and delivered a two-out, two-strike, two-run single to clinch the win. Brewers catcher Gary Sánchez, speaking through an interpreter, claims he wasn’t aware of any tipping, adding, “Even if he was and we were aware of it, hitting 104 (mph fastballs) is not easy by any means.” Brewers manager Pat Murphy denied his team knew pitches in advance, but he acknowledged that deciphering opponent plans and preventing their own pitchers from tipping is a huge part of the modern game, saying, “I’d be not telling the truth if I didn’t tell you that it’s part of our game today in a big way. There’s so many ways to give away a pitch.” You gotta believe the Brewers were locked in, especially with an offense that led the majors in hits and was second in walks this season.
Backs Against the Wall
The Padres are still smarting from Miller’s meltdown, which, remember, puts them in an 0-2 series hole. It’s brutal when you realize they were one strike away from splitting the first two games against the team with the best regular-season record. Forget splitting, some fans even believe they were “one strike and one roof cable away” from two wins in Milwaukee. Instead, they’re on the brink of winter, heading back to Petco Park, where they were “largely outstanding all season.” Padres slugger Manny Machado isn’t backing down. “It’s not an easy job,” he said. “It’s a tough road. You’ve got to deal with a lot of adversity. Here we are once again with our backs against the wall. We’ve overcome it once, and we can do it again and we’re going to do it again.” Tonight, veteran right-hander Nick Pivetta takes the mound for San Diego in their must-win Game 3. Pivetta, who missed nearly five months of the regular season with a right elbow injury, is grateful for the chance and believes this roster is capable of a comeback. He’ll need to be sharp from the first pitch to give the Padres any hope of avoiding elimination and keeping their season alive.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply