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CLEVELAND -- David Ross marvels at Andrew Miller and the break on his sinister slider.Hes hard to catch, said the Chicago Cubs catcher and Millers teammate in Boston three years ago. When you know hes hard to catch, you know hes hard to hit.Miller escaped a pair of jams to pitch two scoreless innings and help the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 in the World Series opener Tuesday night.A 6-foot-7 lefty with an enormous wingspan, Miller has developed baseballs most unhittable pitch. He is perhaps the biggest factor in Clevelands first AL pennant since 1997, a throwback willing to close or enter in the middle innings.It kind of sets the tone for our mindset as a club, just trying to figure out a way to help your team win, Cleveland closer Cody Allen said.Now 31, Miller was acquired from the Yankees on Aug. 1 for four prospects. He has thrown 22 scoreless innings in postseason play, including 13 2/3 innings with 24 strikeouts this year. He was voted AL Championship Series MVP, a rare setup man to gain a postseason honor.I would say before that, his resume is not too shabby, either, Indians manager Terry Francona said during the series against Toronto. Theres a reason we gave up what we did for him. We thought that he could be a guy that we could leverage in situations like we have. And it would make our bullpen that much better and give us a chance to keep playing.In New York, Miller was the baby-faced member of the hard-throwing No Runs DMC bullpen trio that included Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman, dealt to the Cubs on July 25.New Yorks closer in 2015, Miller embraced his new role as Chapmans setup man. With Cleveland, Francona has brought him in as early as the fifth inning, and like an understudy shifting parts each performance, Miller relishes his interchangeable roles.The best thing that could possibly happen is to be on a winning team, and thats what I enjoy, he said, his face partly obscured by a beard regrown following his exit from the clean-cut Yankees. If that requires me to pitch the second inning or the ninth inning or play shortstop, I dont really care. I want to be a part of it.Selected by Detroit with the sixth overall in the 2006 amateur draft, Miller struggled with the Tigers, Marlins and Red Sox, compiling a 21-29 record from 2006-11, when most of his appearances were as a starter.The start of my career wasnt anything that youd brag about or write home about, he said.His career started to change in 2012, on March 20 to be precise. Boston manager Bobby Valentine suggested he work from the stretch fulltime to lessen the movement of his big frame, and Miller injured his left hamstring on his third pitch in an exhibition game against Toronto. When Miller returned, he was relegated to the bullpen.The hamstring had a lot to do with it when you look back at it, probably an awful lot to do with it, Valentine said. He wasnt going to be able to be stretched out enough to compete for the starting role.Miller simplified his repertoire in the bullpen, ditching his sinker and changeup and limiting himself to his fastball and slider. He had a career-best 3.35 ERA, striking out 51 in 40 1/3 innings.There were no roster spots in the rotation, and the bullpen was the way to go, he said. I think in hindsight it was a really good thing. It was a blessing in disguise. But you dont know it at the time.After a torn ligament in his left foot caused him to miss the second half of the 2013 season -- and Bostons run to the World Series title -- he struck out 103 in 62 1/3 innings the following year with the Red Sox and Orioles, who acquired him at the trade deadline.He was trying to figure out himself. Hes had some failure as a starter and he struggled through what a lot of starters go through early in their careers, and look at him now, said Juan Nieves, Millers pitching coach with the Red Sox in 2013 and `14.Its a really quick, sharp slider. It starts in the zone and it ends up a lot of times either a strike called or its in and out of the zone real quick, he added.Miller didnt miss any time this season despite breaking a bone in his right wrist when hit by a liner off the bat of Atlantas Willians Astudillo during a spring training game on March 30.His durability has been prodigious and his flexibility vital. Miller has entered as early as the fifth inning and late as the ninth over seven appearances this postseasonIt wasnt that long ago I was pitching in some long situations and sometimes in the eighth inning in close situations, Miller said. For those guys, which are the majority of relievers, flexibility is not something you offer, its something you have to have. You dont have a choice. If youre not flexible, youre not going to have a spot in the big leagues. Custom Authentic Baseball Jerseys . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. Custom Atlanta Braves Nike Jerseys . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.com/?tag=custom-san-francisco-giants-nike-jerseys . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Custom Miami Marlins Nike Jerseys . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Custom Baseball Jerseys . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Saturday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- WASHINGTON -- With a 1-0 lead in the NLDS, the Los Angeles Dodgers send Rich Hill to the mound against the Washington Nationals Tanner Roark. Game starts 4:08 p.m.- CHICAGO -- Kyle Hendricks, baseballs ERA leader, starts for Chicago in Game 2 of the NLDS. Former Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija goes for the San Francisco Giants, who lost the opener 1-0. Game starts 8:08 p.m.- Stories on Sundays two ALDS games: Rangers (down 2-0) at Blue Jays; Indians (up 2-0) at Red Sox.- Key Top 25 college football games: No. 1 Alabama-No. 16 Arkansas (7 p.m.); No. 8 Texas A&M-No. 9 Tennessee (3:30 p.m.); No. 10 Miami-No. 23 Florida State (8 p.m.); No. 17 North Carolina-No. 25 Virginia Tech (3:30).- Three unbeaten NFL teams -- Broncos, Vikings and Eagles -- play this weekend. But the spotlight falls on Cleveland and, no, the winless Browns arent the attraction. Tom Brady returns.- CONCORD, N.C. -- Hurricane Matthew washes out Saturday nights Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motorr Speedway.dddddddddddd The race will now be run Sunday, along with the Xfinity Series.- LOS ANGELES -- Derrick Rose is ordered to return to the witness stand Tuesday even if it means missing a preseason game the night before. A woman has accused the NBA star and two of his friends of rape.- NEW YORK -- Hoppertunity, trained by Bob Baffert, highlights the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. The winner gets a spot in the Breeders Cup. Post time 5:23 p.m.- MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks open the best-of-five WNBA Finals on Sunday.- England, in its first match since the sudden ouster of manager Sam Allardyce, plays Malta in a World Cup qualifier Saturday. Defending champion Germany hosts the Czech Republic.- LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Olympic leaders ask the World Anti-Doping Agency to oversee a more robust global system to combat drug cheats. WADA says a new testing authority could operate in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics. ' ' '