SAN DIEGO — Mason Miller doesn’t think he was tipping his pitches Sunday in Milwaukee. But it certainly doesn’t rule out the possibility. Especially not when you remember that 1-2 slider below the zone from Jackson Chourio. That’s the one that makes him a little insecure. “That,” Miller said from Petco Park Monday afternoon, “seemed like a really safe take.” This fascinating National League Division Series between the Padres and Brewers moved to San Diego on Monday, with Milwaukee leading two games to none. And there was no topic more talked about during the off-day workout than the possibility that Miller, the game’s premier closer, tipped his pitches during his blown save in Game 2. Miller has seen the videos. You’ve seen the still images. He has seen even more than is publicly available. At the very least, I wouldn’t reveal it if I thought I was tipping. But one thing was clear: it was his lack of command that hurt him, much more than any comment said. “I really don’t know what to do with this,” Miller said. “I feel like there was only one pitch that would have had an impact. [The Chourio take.] If you’re tilting your pitches and it’s a ball, I just don’t think it had anything to do with the walks. I also have a hard time believing that I magically started doing it.” In Sunday’s fateful ninth inning, Miller walked three Brewers, including Sal Frelick and Gary Sanchez, with a runner already on second base. Still images on the Internet suggest that Miller’s hand was perhaps a little more visible outside his glove on the fastballs he threw than on the sliders. There is also a video of Frelick, taking advantage at second base, touching his neck with Chourio at the plate, before that slider 1-2. One pitch later, Chourio hit his two-run single to leave center field with a 101.3 mph fastball. “I don’t know if he was leaning or not,” Sanchez said. “Seriously, I don’t. And if it was, I was not aware of it. I think even if it were and we knew it, getting to 104 is not easy by any means. Hitting a pitcher of that caliber and pitches of that caliber, you know there’s nothing easy about it.” Of course, if the Brewers had anything on Miller, they wouldn’t come out and say it right in the middle of a series. That’s the thing about these “is he or isn’t he?” debates when it comes to changes in tone: There’s more subterfuge than a spy thriller. “I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I didn’t tell you that it’s a big part of our game today,” the manager said. Milwaukee, Pat Murphy “The most important part is making sure your pitchers, catchers, infielders, coaches… nobody gives anything away.” But also, “where they are, whether they have their mouth open or closed, their eyes down, their head up, their feet more turned.” They are in another direction. There are so many elements. Great encouragement. Little breath. faucets [his toe] on the ground. There are many ways to reveal a pitch and we are creatures of habit. You’ve got to practice that and stay with it.” Said Dustin May, Milwaukee’s scheduled starter for Game 3: “You try not to stay oblivious to it, but you try to just go out there and do your thing. You really hope that when something like that comes true, someone comes and tells you.” Then there’s the flip side. “As far as picking other teams, there’s a whole process,” Murphy said. “How does it get passed down from second base? And are you doing it or are you really doing it? You know, it’s all part of the game. It’s part of it right now, and a big part of it. It’s happening.” Did it happen against Miller in Game 2? “No,” Murphy said flatly. Miller was quick to note that those three walks were almost certainly the result of non-competitive pitching. If the Brewers knew what was coming, those were shots Miller said he would have expected, especially from a Milwaukee lineup that makes some of the best swing decisions in the game. Still, for Chourio to take… Speaking before Monday’s workout, Miller said he and the Padres They would reevaluate and make changes, if necessary. Manager Craig Stammen did not reveal whether the Padres discovered a trend with Miller, but indicated that he was confident they would make an adjustment if there was one. “We have a team of people who are dedicated to that every day,” Stammen said. “That’s their only job. We’re very aware of what’s going on with our pitchers, very aware of what’s going on with the Brewers pitchers and how they do things. It is part of our daily insight. “The Internet can go crazy and take things further than necessary. We feel good about our process within that situation.” Notably, Stammen did not deny it. Another reporter followed up: Was Miller tipping? “Like I said, we have a lot of guys in the loop and we’re not really worried about it,” Stammen said. As for the specific still images, Miller said he believes they were likely exaggerated, taken at different times during his performance. “Yeah, the screenshots look like it’s here, like it’s really noticeable,” he said. “But I don’t feel like it is… I’ve pitched with guys at second base all year. If that had been there, I feel like it would have caught on a lot sooner than yesterday.” Miller was adamant that his lack of command was far more shocking than any possible indication. “If you run pitches,” he said, “you’re still going to get guys out.” Stammen offered a theory for that lack of command. The Padres bullpen was pushed hard in Game 1 and Adrián Morejón was unavailable for Game 2 after throwing 31 pitches. The Padres needed Miller for six outs. He was as always, sharp and dominant, in the eighth. He was significantly more erratic in the ninth. “We’ve seen some of that in Mason, and it mostly happens in appearances where he goes more than one inning,” Stammen said. “I think it’s definitely something strategic that we felt very comfortable with coming into the game, but it’s something down the road that we may have to adjust as the playoffs go on.” For the most part, the Padres have tried to limit Miller to the ninth inning exclusively this season. Stammen did not commit to a specific usage pattern for Miller going forward in this series. But presumably, he would still feel comfortable using Miller to cover multiple innings. Even a slightly erratic Miller is usually a better choice than some of the alternatives. On Monday, Miller reiterated what he had said Sunday night in Milwaukee: He doesn’t think the second inning of work had any impact. “The adrenaline is so high that I don’t think I was a conscious part of things,” he said. “I didn’t throw strikes. Was it for that reason or not? I don’t know.” Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Petco Park. The Padres, with their season on the line, would love to get the ball to Miller with a lead again. As of Monday afternoon, Miller didn’t plan to make any adjustments. But what if he finds out you were tipping? “Once you’re aware of it, sure,” Miller said. “But it also seems like a bad time to try to change everything.”
