Miller after 40-pitch outing: I'll be available Game 2
As far as Andrew Miller is concerned, there's no such thing as pitch counts in October.
The Cleveland Indians reliever has become a star closer in recent years, but was summoned by manager Terry Francona in the fifth inning for what was perhaps the most important juncture of Thursday's Game 1 against the Boston Red Sox. Miller delivered, throwing 40 pitches over two shutout innings to earn the win, preserve the Indians' lead, and give them a 1-0 advantage in their ALDS showdown.
Despite his unusually high pitch count, the 31-year-old said he'll be fully available for Game 2 on Friday.
"I'm not gonna miss any of these games," Miller told reporters after Cleveland's 5-4 win, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
Related: Francona goes 'anti-Showalter' by using Miller in 5th
Miller's stellar work of one-hit ball over his two innings frustrated his former Red Sox teammates throughout the night. Designated hitter David Ortiz - who came into the game with one hit in eight plate appearances versus Miller - said facing him was "very frustrating."
Though the move to use Miller and fellow reliever Cody Allen for 40 pitches each was somewhat unconventional, his skipper defended the decisions by pointing to the final score.
"Nobody ever said you had to be conventional to win," Francona said in his postgame press conference.
"We wanted to win the game tonight and we did," he continued. "Tomorrow (the bullpen use) might be a little bit different design."