CLEVELAND: Here he comes again, marching onto the field when the bullpen door swings open, this high-priced assassin brought here to torture the best hitters in the world.
Here comes Andrew Miller, the reliever who cost the Indians $9 million and four prospects — and that’s still a bargain.
Miller and Indians manager Terry Francona have torn up traditional thinking during this postseason and it has them two wins from the World Series. Francona, the outside-the-box, roles-be-damned manager, and Miller, the easygoing reliever with enough contract and humility to embrace his manager’s unorthodox ways.
They were at it again Saturday when Miller was called on to pitch the seventh and eighth innings of the Indians’ 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series. Miller struck out the first four batters he faced with a slider nastier than Donald Trump’s mouth.
Try as they might, this stacked Blue Jays lineup simply can’t hit it. Miller has retired 11 of the 12 batters he has faced in this series thanks primarily to that slider. He has thrown it 31 times in these two wins. Only once was it put in play. Once. A harmless single by Josh Donaldson in the eighth inning Friday night, a feat worthy of another MVP vote.
“When you think about what he’s doing against major-league hitters, some of the best hitters in the game, and he’s making them look that bad? He’s got stuff,” outfielder Rajai Davis said. “His deception, his sharpness on his curve and his slider, they look like they’re going to be strikes and then when you go to swing, they’re not a strike. And they’re so close that they could be.”
It wasn’t always this way for Miller, the former top prospect who was 27, onto his third organization and facing another demotion to Triple-A when a move to the bullpen revived his career. He strained his hamstring during spring training in 2012, and by the time he was healthy, there was no room for him in the Boston Red Sox rotation.
So the lanky 6-foot-7 left-hander went to the bullpen to work on his mechanics and simplify his delivery. Throughout his career, Miller had developed bad habits. He was so long, he struggled consistently repeating his delivery. The repetitiveness of pitching every day — even warming up in the bullpen on days he didn’t get into games — helped smooth out his delivery.
“There was no light switch. There was no moment where I said, ‘Aha! I’ve got it! I’ve figured it out!’ ” Miller said. “I don’t think anyone ever has that. It was just little things. Probably millions of little adjustments or changes, whether it was the mental side or mechanical side. It just took time for me.”
It took time to refine that slider, too, a pitch that is nearing Mariano Rivera’s cutter in terms of effectiveness and unhittability. Miller has faced 28 batters in this postseason; 17 of them have struck out.
“He’s just one of those guys that has an arm slot you just can’t really plan for, you can’t really practice against,” Jason Kipnis said. “Not to mention the stuff he has is incredible. He’s not fun. We know some guy may get a hit. It will happen. He knows it will happen. But the chances of them stringing together 3-4 hits to get a crooked number off him are very unlikely.”
Francona has praised Miller throughout the playoffs for his flexibility. Most elite relievers crave defined roles, particularly late in games. Saves matter more than holds during winter negotiations and the biggest dollars are saved for guys working the end of games. But Miller already has a long-term deal. He’s making $9 million this season and has another $18 million coming the next two years whether he pitches the fifth, the ninth or anywhere in between. Miller has his money. Now he wants a ring.
“I do think it’s easier when you’ve got a big contract. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” said Francona, whose use of Miller and the rest of his relievers might force managers across baseball to re-evaluate what they’re doing. “I’d love to see the way bullpens get rewarded, like in arbitration, change a little bit because I think you’d see bullpens used differently.
“And it makes it hard sometimes on managers because I get it. If you’re a young kid and you haven’t made any money, the best way to make money is to get some saves. Bullpens can be volatile, too. The Riveras of the world aren’t growing on trees.”
Maybe not, but there is one in full bloom in Cleveland. And it’s beautiful to see.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.