DETROIT – While the Mariners, specifically Dan Wilson, waited to make it public until after Tuesday’s 8-4 win over the Tigers at Comerica Field, Bryce Miller has known he was going to start Game 4 of the American League Division Series for a while now.
When Bryan Woo was left off the roster for the division series, Miller was the likely option to pitch in Game 4.
“It was tentatively the plan from the beginning,” he said in a postgame media session. “I stayed on schedule, threw a couple bullpens this week, and it was the plan once we knew Woo was out, that it would probably be the way we go. So it didn’t mess with my schedule too much. Most of the week I’ve been planning on throwing Game 4.”
When Game 1 dragged into 11 innings, he was starting to head to the bullpen if the game kept going. Given the heavy use of relievers in the first game, he was going to pitch out of the bullpen if Game 2 went past regulation. Instead, he will make his first postseason start.
In 2022, when the Mariners were playing the Blue Jays in American League Wild Card Series and then the Astros in the ALDS, he sat at home watching the games intently, yearning for the chance to pitch on the postseason stage. He became an integral piece of the Mariners rotation each of the last two seasons, unfortunately those teams fell a game short of the playoffs.
“I wished I was there,” he said. “And these last two years, being a game short, it really didn’t sit well with a lot of us in the clubhouse.”
Miller tried to pitch through some elbow discomfort early in the season, but struggled to feel right on the mound. He made 10 starts, posting a 2-5 record with a 5.73 ERA. He was placed on the injured list and later admitted to dealing with bone spurs in the elbow. However, a platelet rich plasma injection helped his recovery and allowed him to pitch. He returned off the injured list on August 19 and made eight starts to close out the season, working with a limited pitch count after the long absence, he posted a 2-1 record with a 5.62 ERA. His last start was on Sept. 28 vs. the Dodgers at T-Mobile Park.
“I’m excited and ready to go,” Miller said. “I haven’t thrown in a few days, and it’s been a long week. I threw a couple bullpens and worked on some things, but overall I feel really good and I’m ready to get out there.”
The Tigers will start right-hander Casey Mize, who earned a spot on the AL All-Star team. He posted a 14-6 record and 3.87 ERA in 28 starts this season.