Cardinals Push Star Closer Mason Miller to Brink Before Falling to Padres

Throughout the season, as the Cardinals’ have overwhelmed foes and surprised onlookers, manager Oliver Marmol has reminded that “tiny victories” have often added up for sustained success for MLB’s second-youngest squad.

Getting 23-year-old slugger Jordan Walker to swing at fewer sliders off the plate is one of those “tiny victories” the Cardinals have chalked up at times this season. Having Michael McvGreevy and Matthew Liberatore learn how to get outs without overwhelming velocity has been another.

The Cardinals lost 4-2 to the Padres on Saturday night, but how they made superstar closer Mason Miller work in the eighth and ninth innings might qualify as a tiny victory that could pay dividends in the series finale on Sunday.

Miller, who has gained national headlines for how he has dominated hitters this season, came into Saturday 11 for 11 in saves with a 1.04 ERA in 17 appearances. He had allowed just seven hits and two earned runs in 17 1/3 innings while striking out 34 and walking just three. Also, he ranked in MLB’s 100th percentile in average fastball velocity (101.2 mph), chase rate (44 percent), whiff rate (57.8 percent), strikeout rate (55.7 percent) and hard-hit rate (16.7 percent).

Michael McGreevy ignores lack of velocity, relies on mix, movement

The Cardinals did their best to lay off Miller’s slider and drew two walks and Yohel Pozo reached on a wild pitch to load the bases in the ninth inning against the game’s most dominant force out of the bullpen. Cardinals’ rookie JJ Wetherholt, who had a third-inning single and scored in the eighth inning after being hit by a pitch, saw three sliders to open his at bat before getting a 101.8 mph four-seam fastball that he was unable to pull the trigger on for a game-ending strikeout.