Mason Miller's save ends Cubs' Wild Card run vs. Padres
Mason Miller closed the door on Chicago's season Wednesday, posting a scoreless ninth for his first postseason save in San Diego's 4-1 win that swept the Cubs out of the NL Wild Card Series. The Padres closer, after an 88-save regular-season haul, retired three of four batters after allowing a Nico Hoerner double.
Key Takeaways
- Mason Miller earned his first career postseason save in San Diego's series-clinching 4-1 win over the Cubs.
- The Padres swept the NL Wild Card Series and advanced to the NLDS.
- Seiya Suzuki was Chicago's Game 1 Superhero by WPA after an 8-0 loss, going 1-for-3 with a walk.
- Suzuki had beaten Miller's slider for a walk-off single on June 29 at Wrigley Field.
- Game 1 starter Matthew Boyd took the loss after allowing four runs in four innings.
How did Mason Miller finish the Cubs?
According to NBC Sports, Miller tossed a scoreless ninth in Wednesday's clincher. He surrendered a double to Nico Hoerner but retired the other three batters he faced.
After 88 regular-season saves, it was Miller's first save in the postseason. Last year he pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings as a setup man for the Padres in a Wild Card loss to the Cubs.
Why was Seiya Suzuki the Cubs' Game 1 Superhero?
Bleed Cubbie Blue's Heroes and Goats breakdown of Wild Card Game 1 on September 29 tagged Suzuki as the Superhero (.083 WPA) after a 1-for-3 night with a walk. The Padres crushed Chicago 8-0 behind Michael King and an early ambush of starter Matthew Boyd.
Boyd was the Billy Goat (-.203), lasting four innings with five hits, a walk, and four runs. Fernando Tatis Jr. homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the first for the WPA play of the game. Nico Hoerner had two of Chicago's three hits that night.
Had Suzuki already beaten Mason Miller this season?
Yes. On June 29 at Wrigley Field, with the score tied 2-2 in the ninth, Suzuki hunted a slider, took one above the zone, then drove the next one through left field for a walk-off single in a 3-2 Cubs win, as Yahoo Sports recounted.
MLB's series preview flagged Miller as San Diego's ninth-inning choice. Miller finished the regular season with 38 saves, a 1.67 ERA, and 129 strikeouts in 70 innings. In the 2025 Wild Card Series, he had struck Suzuki out with a 102.9 mph fastball.
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What does the sweep mean for both clubs?
San Diego advances to the NLDS after controlling the short series from Game 1's blowout onward. Chicago's bats managed just three hits in that opener before the series slipped away for good under Miller's closing chapter.