Padres' Mason Miller Ties Postseason Strikeout Record

The San Diego Padres evened the NL Wild Card Series with a 3-0 Game 2 win over the Chicago Cubs, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 at Wrigley Field scheduled for Thursday. San Diego’s bullpen combined for multiple scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks while largely shutting down the Cubs’ lineup. Reliever Mason Miller struck out five batters in 1 2/3 innings and recorded a called third strike to Carson Kelly clocked at 104.5 mph — the fastest pitch in the postseason since Statcast began tracking in 2008, surpassing Aroldis Chapman’s previous mark. Miller has now struck out the last eight batters he’s faced in the postseason, tying the record for consecutive strikeouts to start a postseason career, and routinely averaged triple-digit velocity in the outing. Acquired from Oakland at the trade deadline, Miller’s dominance has validated the Padres’ trade and gives San Diego a high-leverage weapon heading into Game 3.