"I Didn't Do My Job"… Mason Miller's Pitch Count Goes From 12 to 40, Takes Walk-Off Loss
San Diego closer Mason Miller tried to get 6 outs in Game 2 of the NLDS and gave up a walk-off hit on his 40th pitch. Milwaukee won 4-3.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
He was a pitcher with a 1.67 ERA in 66 regular-season games this year. Yet on October 4 (US local time), that same Mason Miller walked 3 batters in a single postseason inning. His pitch count was 12 when he finished the eighth inning, and it stood at 40 when the game ended.
The question comes down to one thing: was entrusting two innings to the closer the cause of the loss, or was his loss of control in the ninth the whole problem?
Mason Miller's walk-off situation: 3 walks in the ninth, bases loaded with 2 outs, pitch No. 40
theScorereported that Miller entered in the eighth inning with a 3-2 lead and retired three batters on 12 pitches. He went back out to the mound for the ninth as well. Baseball Almanac's box score shows that in the ninth he walked Christian Yelich, Sal Frelick and Gary Sánchez in succession, loading the bases with 2 outs.
Jackson Chourio came to the plate. Chourio hit Miller's 40th pitch for a 2-RBI walk-off hit. The number of pitches he threw in the ninth alone was 28 (40 minus 12), which is 2.3 times the eighth inning's total. Milwaukee's Trevor Megill was the winning pitcher. Accounts of the count just before the walk-off differ by outlet, so this article does not address it.
Mason Miller's pitch counts: 4 games of 30+ pitches in 66 regular-season appearances
Padres On SI reported that in 66 regular-season appearances in 2026, Miller threw 30 or more pitches in 4 games. Dividing 4 by 66 gives about 6%. His season high is reported to be 34 pitches on May 15. This outing's 40 pitches are 6 more than that.
Some reports presented this "4 games" as a career figure. But the same outlet clearly wrote that it was based on the 2026 regular season. We could not find an official source that tallies pitch counts for every game.
| Season | Saves | ERA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 3.78 | Oakland debut (as a starter) |
| 2024 | 28 | 2.49 | Moved to closer, All-Star |
| 2025 | 22 | 2.63 | Traded to San Diego on July 31 |
| 2026 | 38 | 1.67 | 66 games, 129 strikeouts |
Manager Stammen's usage: planned "6 outs" even before the game
According to theScore, Manager Stammen planned to use Miller for two innings even before the game. Stammen is a former reliever who played for San Diego from 2017 to 2022. He is the only current MLB manager who was a pitcher, and this is his debut season as a manager.
Those defending the decision point to the efficiency of finishing the eighth in 12 pitches and his 1.67 season ERA. Those against it note that only about 6% of his regular-season games went past 30 pitches and that this outing surpassed his season high. Whether the 3 walks in the ninth came from fatigue or simple control trouble cannot be determined from the records alone.
Mason Miller Blames Himself: "Terrible"… His 38 Saves Tied for the NL Lead
Right after the October 4 game, Miller told MLB.com in an interview, "Terrible. I didn't do my job today." His comments read as placing the responsibility on himself for loading the bases with walks, not blaming the manager's decision.
By regular-season numbers alone, he was a top-tier closer. In the roundup MLB published on September 27, he was tied for first in the National League with 38 saves.
| Rank | Player | Team | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Cade Smith | Cleveland | 41 |
| T-1 | Bryan Baker | Tampa Bay | 41 |
| T-3 | Mason Miller | San Diego | 38 |
| T-3 | Riley O'Brien | St. Louis | 38 |
The eighth was clean at 12 pitches, and the ninth ended with 3 walks, 2 outs with the bases loaded, and a walk-off hit. What remains is the number that went 6 past his regular-season high of 34: 40 pitches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many pitches did Mason Miller throw in Game 2 of the NLDS?
He got through the eighth on 12 pitches, and the pitch on which he gave up the walk-off hit to Chourio in the ninth was his 40th of the game. That means he threw 28 pitches in the ninth alone.
Q. Is Mason Miller's 40-pitch count unusual?
According to Padres On SI, he threw 30 or more pitches in 4 of his 66 regular-season games in 2026, and his season high was 34 pitches on May 15. This figure has not been cross-checked against an official full tally.
Q. How much is Mason Miller's salary?
According to MLB.com's reporting, his 2026 season salary is 4 million dollars, on a 1-year deal that avoided arbitration. The club announced only that an agreement had been reached and did not disclose individual amounts.
Related Official Sites
- MLB Official Game Results — Check the NLDS Game 2 box score and pitching records
- MLB Mason Miller Official Stats — Look up season-by-season and career stats
- San Diego Padres Official Website — Club news and postseason schedule
- Milwaukee Brewers Official Website — Opposing club news and game schedule
Representative image · Archival photo · Not a scene photo of the game in the article · Photo composite · Photo = Wikimedia Commons (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Anthony N. Hilkowski), Public domain · Photo = Wikimedia Commons (Bernard Gagnon), CC BY-SA 3.0
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