Scout calls Mason Miller’s pitch tipping ‘pretty obvious’ in Padres’ loss to Brewers

San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller had a rare meltdown in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Miller blew a save with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth inning, surrendering a walk-off two-run single to Jackson Chourio.

After the game, it was pointed out on X that Miller appeared to be tipping his pitches, with his hand placed deeper in the glove before throwing his slider, as opposed to being further out of his glove before throwing his fastball. It looked like the Brewers' runner on second base was picking this up and relaying it to the batter's box — a tale as old as time in baseball.

When asked about this in his press conference the following day, Padres manager Craig Stammen dismissed the possibility to the media, saying the team feels good about their process in that situation. However, it seems pretty evident that Miller was tipping and the Brewers knew what was coming before the elite closer threw it.

"We've got a crew of people that are dedicated to that every single day," Stammen said. "That is their sole job. We're well aware of what's going on with our pitchers, well aware of what's going on with the Brewers' pitchers and how they do things. It's part of our daily acumen. The internet can go crazy and take things farther than they need to go. We feel good about our process within that situation."

Scout believes Mason Miller was tipping his pitches against the Brewers

One rival National League scout who spoke with FanSided said it was clear that Miller was tipping his pitches in Game 2. “Looks like X nailed it," the scout said. "It was pretty obvious from the videos.”

Prior to Chourio's walk-off hit, Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick, who was standing on second base, tapped his neck, which resulted in an all-time take by Chourio on a slider. Had Chourio not known what was coming, it would have been an extremely tough pitch to layoff.

The rest is history as Chourio shot a 101 mph fastball up the middle and past the Padres' diving second baseman for the game-winning hit on a 2-2 count. The Brewers were able to score two runs off Miller to steal the game and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.

Miller, who is typically untouchable on the mound, the right-hander only allowed two runs or more in three out of 66 appearances during the regular season. This was an unusual outing for Miller, who went 1.2 innings, as the Brewers seemed to have his number in Game 2. Miller issued three walks before allowing the game-winning single to Chourio in the ninth.

So how do Miller and the Padres correct this potential pitch tipping moving forward? "Basically, keep the runner off second base," the scout said. The Padres will hope for better results as they face elimination in Game 3 back at home.

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