Padres Star Mason Miller Makes MLB History in Game 2 Against Cubs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin Groe | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 5:59 PM ET

The San Diego Padres dropped the opening game of their postseason run on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs and entered Game 2 of the NL wild card series fighting to keep their postseason alive.

The Padres got off to a hot start with Jackson Merrill driving in Fernando Tatis Jr. with a sacrifice fly to take an early 1–0 lead in the top of the first inning. With both teams failing to score in the second and third innings, San Diego’s manager Mike Shildt decided to pull his starting pitcher Dylan Cease, turning to his star-studded bullpen in the fourth inning despite Cease’s effectiveness.

The Padres bullpen got to work immediately and shut the door on Chicago, evening the series with a 3–0 victory after a Manny Machado two-run blast in the fifth inning. A huge reason for Shildt’s trust in his bullpen is the depth it features, including All-Star Mason Miller. The 27-year-old arrived in San Diego at the trade deadline and has continued to flourish in high-leverage situations.

Miller made his first postseason appearance on Tuesday, striking out the side in his lone inning of work. He continued to dominate on Wednesday, pitching 1 2/3 innings and striking out five more, opening up his playoff career with eight consecutive punchouts. One strikeout in particular made MLB history. During Miller’s strikeout of Cubs catcher Carson Kelly, the pitch was logged at 104.5 miles per hour. This pitch was not only the fastest of Miller’s career, but also the fastest pitch ever tracked in the MLB playoffs.

“From Padres PR: The fastest pitch in Postseason history by any player dating back to at least the pitch tracking era (2008),” wrote Bob Scanlan of the San Diego Padres.

From Padres PR: The fastest pitch in Postseason history by any player dating back to at least the pitch tracking era (2008)
— Bob Scanlan (@heyscan) October 1, 2025

Miller has continued to impress in his first year in San Diego. He was acquired from the Athletics at the trade deadline in a blockbuster deal that involved the Padres’ top prospect Leo De Vries.

However, with San Diego’s window for a title clearly still open, general manager A.J. Preller has once again pushed in the chips as the Padres continue their search for the organization’s first ever World Series championship.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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