Miller extends unbelievable scoreless streak, eyes franchise record

SAN DIEGO -- Last summer, making his second appearance for the Padres after they acquired him in a Trade Deadline blockbuster, Mason Miller allowed two runs during an outing in Arizona.

That was Aug. 5. He still hasn’t allowed a run since. Not in the postseason. Not in the World Baseball Classic. And not in any of his 28 appearances since for San Diego.

With a clean ninth inning in the Padres’ 4-1 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday night, Miller extended his scoreless streak to 29 2/3 innings. It’s the longest active streak in the Majors, and it’s approaching the franchise record as well.

Miller is now just four innings shy of Cla Meredith’s franchise record 33 2/3-inning scoreless streak. He’s also a third of an inning from moving into a tie with Randy Jones for the No. 2 spot. Jones, a beloved Padres Hall of Famer, passed away in November at the age of 75.

“It’s fun for Mason Miller to be in the same breath as Randy Jones,” said manager Craig Stammen, who got to know Jones well during his own time as a reliever with the Padres. “He’s one of the greatest pitchers in Padres history. And Mason’s right there with him.”

Of course, Miller isn’t just holding teams scoreless. He’s barely even allowing any hits. This season, only Luis Arraez has recorded a hit in 27 plate appearances against Miller. Of those 27 hitters he’s faced, he’s punched out 20 of them -- an absurd 74% clip.

When opposing hitters put the ball in play -- as Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford did against Miller on Tuesday night -- that’s the anomaly. Arozarena flied harmlessly to right, and Crawford grounded out to second to end the game. In between, Miller struck out Luke Raley with a filthy 2-2 slider below the zone.

“Only struck out one guy tonight,” Stammen joked. “Down night for him, I guess. Three days off, maybe a little rust -- nah, he’s good. We feel very good when he’s coming in in the ninth.”