Former A's Closer Mason Miller Sets New Record for Padres

Mason Miller has been absolutely electric for the San Diego Padres since being traded from the Athletics at the deadline. The 27-year-old reliever spent his first two and a half seasons with the Athletics, including two years in Oakland and half the season in Sacramento. This week in the first postseason work of his young career, he's thriving.

Now with the Padres, Mille has impressed in his first two postseason outings. In game one against the Cubs on Tuesday afternoon, Miller entered the ballgame in the seventh inning. He faced Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly, and Pete Crow-Armstrong, punching out all three batters. Miller threw just 13 pitches, including 10 for strikes.

The Cubs were the visiting club in the first-ever MLB series played in West Sacramento, and Suzuki hit a ball 445 feet and off the batter's eye in center in the second game, while Kelly hit for the cycle in the opener.

Despite the loss in game one, San Diego answered back to tie the series with a 3-0 shutout over Chicago.

Miller entered the game in the seventh inning once again. Now pitching with a 3-0 lead, the right-hander struck out five of the first six batters he faced. He threw 16 of 27 pitches for strikes, punching out Suzuki, Kelly, and Crow-Armstrong in order, before setting down Dansby Swanson and Moisés Ballesteros in the eighth. Miller’s effort resulted in a hold.

He also ended up uncorking the fastest recorded pitch in postseason history, and it was an absolute dart on the outside edge of the strike zone.