5 relievers who dominated in the playoffs

It's becoming legitimately unfair to hitters when Andrew Miller takes the pitcher's mound in October.

Since joining the Cleveland Indians at the trade deadline, Miller has been on an absolute tear - and somehow he's turned himself up to 11 in October. In the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays, Miller has struck out 10 of the 12 batters he's faced to became the first reliever ever to punch out five batters in consecutive playoff appearances. Against Boston in the division series, the 31-year-old struck out seven and didn't allow a run in four overpowering innings. This is nothing new, though: since making his playoff debut with Baltimore in 2014, Miller hasn't allowed a run in 10 appearances.

Miller's extended run of dominance and the affect it's had on the Indians and baseball as a whole - his usage in high-leverage situations before the ninth inning has spurred discussion about bullpen use - got us thinking about some of the great extended runs by relievers in the playoffs, and where the southpaw ranks on this list. Here's a look back at some other memorable game-changing October performances from some of baseball's greatest relievers.

Francisco Rodriguez

K-Rod is now 34 and hasn't replicated the shut-down success of his youth, but his heroics for the Angels in the 2002 postseason will never be forgotten. As a 20-year-old September call-up, Rodriguez burst onto the scene in Anaheim and emerged as a dominant set-up man. He gave up just four earned runs in the 2002 playoffs and was most effective in the ALCS against Minnesota, striking out seven in 4 1/3 innings. The Angels went on to win the World Series thanks in large part to the young Venezuelan's heroics in the Fall Classic. When he struck out the side in the eighth inning of Game 7 against San Francisco, it paved the way for the Angels' title.

Mariano Rivera

Pick any stretch of his career that you want - okay, maybe not the 2001 World Series or the 2004 ALCS - and Rivera will be front and center on this list. The future Hall of Famer owns the lowest career postseason ERA (0.70) in history, and only allowed a run in 10 of the 32 postseason series he pitched in. His most dominant stretch came during the Yankees' run of three straight World Series titles, when he held opponents scoreless for a record 33 1/3 consecutive innings. He was named the 1998 World Series MVP for his shutout work, and 2003 ALCS MVP after holding the Red Sox at bay for three innings in a memorable Game 7 performance.

Jeremy Affeldt

Though not a household name outside of the Bay Area, Affeldt put together one of the more remarkable strings of success as part of the Giants' three titles in the last six years. Beginning in the 2012 NLDS against Cincinnati, Affeldt didn't allow a run in six consecutive postseason series while striking out 12 over that span. His streak of 23 1/3 straight scoreless innings beginning in the 2010 World Series is second only to Rivera among relievers. Affeldt retired with a 0.86 ERA in the playoffs, the fourth-lowest in history.

Rollie Fingers

Fingers, the first true reliever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, was the key to the Oakland Athletics' three-peat in the 1970s. During the Athletics' six consecutive postseason series wins from 1972-74, Fingers posted a 1.55 ERA and struck out 35 batters. His two finest performances came in the 1972 World Series - 11 strikeouts and a 0.774 WHIP in 10 1/3 innings - and the 1974 Fall Classic when he allowed just two runs in 9 1/3 en route to World Series MVP honors. The A's won two of those three titles in seven games, and without Fingers' dominance, a dynasty may have never taken off.

Wade Davis

Davis led the Royals' untouchable bullpen during their back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 2015 - and he was untouchable. In 20 October appearances for Kansas City, Davis has allowed just one earned run, which came in the 2014 ALDS against the Angels. His career postseason ERA, including two appearances with the Rays, sits at a minuscule 0.84, and he's yet to walk a batter in the World Series. The Royals have reportedly put Davis on the trade block, and as long as he's healthy, the contender that ends up with him will be very lucky to have him.

(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)