Seiya Suzuki has already solved Mason Miller once this year, and now he may get another chance to do it when it counts most. On June 29 at Wrigley Field, Suzuki faced Miller with two outs and the score tied 2-2 in the ninth inning. Miller had entered after two Cubs reached base, and a double play at the plate had nearly ended Chicago's chance. Suzuki drove a slider toward left-field ivy for a walk-off single, scoring Crow-Armstrong for a 3-2 victory.
Miller's regular-season dominance suggests that single may prove the exception rather than the rule. The Padres closer finished the season with 38 saves, establishing himself as one of baseball's most dominant ninth-inning pitchers. His 102.9 mph fastball has overpowered most hitters, including Suzuki in last year's playoffs.
The Cubs will open their Wild Card Series against the Padres on Tuesday at Petco Park, with Michael King starting for San Diego but Miller likely taking over in crucial late-inning situations. Suzuki's June success came when he specifically looked for a slider while remaining aware of Miller's triple-digit fastball. He let the first slider go above the zone, then drove the next one that came over the heart of the plate. Whether Miller repeats that mistake remains unclear, but their rematch could prove decisive with Chicago's season hanging in the balance.