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Cleveland Indians: Andrew Miller Owns the Postseason

By Brendan Dlubala

Oct 15, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller (24) high fives catcher Roberto Perez (55) after the 8th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller (24) high fives catcher Roberto Perez (55) after the 8th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Andrew Miller has competed as a top reliever in MLB for a few seasons. But now the Cleveland Indians lefty has elevated his game to a whole new level in the postseason.

The Cleveland Indians have relied heavily on Andrew Miller this postseason as they continue to coast through the playoffs. The Indians swept the Boston Red Sox and currently lead two games to none over the Toronto Blue Jays. Andrew Miller made two appearances against the Red Sox and has pitched in both games thus far against the Blue Jays.

Against the Boston Red Sox, Miller allowed two hits over four innings in his two appearances. He struck out seven and walked two. Miller showed flaws with the two walks and two hits given up, both doubles. Yet he did not allow a run.

Against the Toronto Blue Jays, Miller pitched a combined 3.2 innings of relief through the first two games of the series. He allowed only one hit and again did not allow a run. Ten of Miller’s 11 outs came via the strikeout.

“It’s fun to watch when you’re playing behind him,” said Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis on Sunday, as per Today’s Knuckleball. “It’s a lot more fun than having to stand in the batter’s box against him. His stuff is amazing and he’s at a point now where he’s basically un-hittable. I know how those guys on the other side feel. If we weren’t trying to beat them, I’d feel bad for them.”

In total, the Cleveland Indians are 5-0 this postseason against two high-powered offensive teams. Miller has pitched 7.2 innings through four appearances, striking out 17 and walking two batters while only allowing three hits. Currently, Miller’s 17 strikeouts is second on the strikeout leaderboard for the 2016 postseason. Clayton Kershaw leads with 25 Ks but has 19.1 innings pitched compared to Miller’s 7.2.

Andrew Miller continues to show dominance as he did with the 2014 Orioles and 2015 Yankees. He has yet to allow a run while playing in the postseason. He’s appeared in 10 games for a total of 16 innings allowing four hits, three walks and striking out 27. While the postseason is intended to be a competition of the best teams, Miller stands out.

Regarding his perspective on performing in the postseason, Miller said, “It’s a cliché, but pitch by pitch. Just focus on the task at hand. Try to get ahead in the count, try to execute a good pitch and pitch to the game plan … In a sense, hope you get these guys out. They’re so good. You execute the perfect pitch in your mind and they can hit in a long way.  It’s a fun challenge, though. Just try to slow down, take your breaths and just execute as best you can. And hope it works out.”

The Cleveland Indians are relying on Andrew Miller after trading for him earlier this year. They packaged four prospects including highly touted outfielder Clint Frazier and lefty pitcher Justus Sheffield. Miller was thrown into a strong bullpen that already included closer Cody Allen, setup reliever Bryan Shaw and middle reliever Dan Otero. While with the Indians, Miller appeared in 26 games posting a 1.55 ERA and a 4-0 record. He also recorded three saves.

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The Indians held a 4.5-game lead in the American League Central when they acquired Andrew Miller. And after the Indians gave up some of their best prospects for him, the expectations for this team and Miller were high.

“I think anytime, it’s human nature to have to feel like you need to prove yourself when you get traded,” he said. “I think we all think about that stuff at times. Ultimately, if I prepare and I get out there and when I’m on the mound and I think about the pitch at hand and all those clichés we like to tell (the media) then I think everything will be all right … I trust that all my preparation and all my hard work has paid off and I’m ready to go. That kind of stuff is a distraction away from the field and you get over it pretty quick.”

This postseason, Miller has made three appearances that have been for two innings. His fourth was for 1.2 innings. This is relatively odd during a time in baseball where relievers are usually relied on for one inning at a time or even less. But with the postseason meaning so much, inning limits have been thrown out the window. Indians manager Terry Francona has relied on Miller to go so long as he is effective. However, Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway do discuss pitch limits before every game.

Next: Royals Offseason To-Do List

Despite Andrew Miller throwing more pitches and staying in games longer than he is used to, the Blue Jays are still struggling with him, as did the Red Sox. Miller’s slider looks impossible to hit and is very difficult to lay off.

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