The grim reaper is actually a polite, engaging fellow. He's also taller than you might expect, a full 6-foot-7.
Andrew Miller's presence has spelled doom for opposing hitters and teams, who have had virtually no success against him in the postseason.
But the question here is whether Miller, the Indians' ace left-handed reliever, can sustain his dominance throughout the World Series against the Cubs. He appeared in seven of the Indians' first 10 postseason games, recording at least four outs every time. The Indians are 7-0 in those games. Miller's ERA is the same as your chance to throw out the first pitch Saturday in Game 4: 0.00.
"It's a grind to get here," Miller said near the visitors' dugout Thursday at Wrigley Field. "I don't know that any sport can match the length of our season. You won't have too many games this time of year where you feel like you're crisp and locked in. But it's the World Series; you have to find a way."
Miller always seems to find a way. Same for Corey Kluber, the 6-foot-4 right-handed starter who will get the ball Saturday in Game 4 on short rest. He blanked the Cubs over six innings in Game 1, striking out nine while surrendering four hits and no walks.
"I have more appreciation for starting pitchers than you can imagine," Miller said. "You can look and see how terrible I was (as a starter from 2007-11). (Kluber) is special, as good as they come. To go out and throw 200 innings, it's an incredible feat."
Kluber threw just 88 pitches in Game 1, about 12 shy of his season average. He never had more than one runner aboard in an inning.
"Pretty clean," John Smoltz, the Fox Sports analyst and first-ballot Hall of Fame pitcher, said. "That quantity does not mean as much as the effort level to get through those innings. You can throw 120 pitches and have it not be (as taxing) as 75 pitches where you're grinding your butt off to get through a game. He didn't have to get out of many jams."
Smoltz believes way too much is made about pitchers having to go on short rest in the playoffs and World Series. He should know, having appeared in 14 postseasons and starting three games in the 1992 NLCS against the Pirates (2-0, 2.66 ERA).
"We're in a defeated mindset, thinking everyone will get hurt because some of the injuries have been so great," Smoltz told the Chicago Tribune. "But we have a small sample size of (injuries) and forget the guys who do well. I'm glad I pitched when I did because I had an opportunity to do 1, 4 and 7. And it did not affect me anywhere close to the noise and rhetoric around me."
Smoltz said starting three games in a seven-game series would be harder for a pitcher who lacks repeatable mechanics. He also marvels at what Miller has done, saying it's more challenging for a reliever to go multiple innings on so many occasions.
Smoltz said he was "never more exhausted" than in 2002, when he recorded 55 saves in 75 appearances for the Braves and then pitched in two division series games.
"He's a special human being," Smoltz said of Miller. "He is a closer that they are utilizing in extremely different circumstances in the postseason. If he were to pitch in five games in this series, I don't think it's humanly possible for him to be as effective."
Indians bullpen coach Jason Bere, the former White Sox and Cubs right-hander, said of Miller's workload: "Let's face it. The World Series is a different scenario. And he prepares as well as anybody. He's so religious with his work. I think it gives him the peace of mind and confidence to know that when the phone rings, he's ready."
Miller threw a postseason-high 46 pitches in Game 1 and said he would have found a way to compete if he had been summoned in Game 2.
"Very few times you will find guys in a bullpen who say they can't go," he said. "It's just kind of our nature. Probably one of the hardest things for a bullpen coach or pitching coach to do is read into (our) words. They're paying us a lot of money to go out and play. It's up to me to do everything I can to prepare to get out there and find a way."
