With a little drama, Miller's scoreless streak ends at 34 2/3 innings
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SAN DIEGO -- It seemed like it was business as usual for Mason Miller when he entered Monday night’s affair against the Cubs.
Fresh off securing the Padres' franchise-record scoreless innings streak on Saturday, Miller had a four-run ninth-inning lead to work with coming off of a rest day. As dominant as Miller has been, whenever those have been the circumstances this season, the outcome has been the same: Game over.
But that wasn’t the case this time -- not remotely. Miller had to work to get through the ninth, loading the bases with nobody out in the Padres’ 9-7 victory and losing his remarkable scoreless streak in the process after allowing a pair of runs.
“Amazing opportunity for me to watch him go in every single night and dominate the way he has,” manager Craig Stammen said. “Tonight a few things had to go a little crazy for him to give up a run. He was still able to keep his composure even with bases loaded, nobody out, and get out of that and give us a win. In the end, his job is to finish the game with us in the win column and he did that again tonight.”
Officially, Miller went 34 2/3 innings without allowing a run dating back to Aug. 6 of last season. His streak ranks as the eighth longest among relievers since at least 1961.
Longest scoreless streaks (relievers, since 1961)
- Gregg Olson, Orioles: 41 IP (Aug. 4, 1989-May 4, 1990)
- Brad Ziegler, A's: 39 IP (May 31, 2008-Aug. 14, 2008)
- Ryan Pressly, Astros: 39 IP (Aug. 15, 2018-May 20, 2019)
- Josh Hader, Brewers: 38 IP (Aug. 1, 2021-June 5, 2022)
- Bob Moose, Pirates: 38 IP (Sept. 5, 1975-May 24, 1976)
- Craig Kimbrel, Braves: 37 2/3 IP (June 14, 2011-Sept. 8, 2011)
- J.C. Romero, Twins: 36 IP (June 26, 2004-Sept. 11, 2004)
- Miller, Padres: 34 2/3 IP (Aug. 6, 2025-April 27, 2026)
It didn’t help that the ninth inning got off to a chaotic start.
Facing Cubs left fielder Matt Shaw to open the frame, Miller induced a softly hit tapper up the third-base line toward Ty France -- who moved to the hot corner to replace an injured Manny Machado in the seventh -- that appeared to roll just foul. Home-plate umpire Dan Merzel ruled the ball fair, much to the displeasure of France, Stammen and the Petco Park crowd.
“We trust that our players are watching the ball and Ty’s picking it up at the right time,” Stammen said. “Thought it was still moving and then obviously we saw the replay on the [scoreboard]. From that angle, it made it look like it was a foul ball.”
“It stopped rolling, I thought it was foul, but [Merzel and third-base umpire Shane Livensparger] said otherwise,” France said. “They said they both had it fair and it’s a non-reviewable play.”
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Back-to-back singles by Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong put Miller in a bases-loaded, nobody-out hole almost instantaneously before Nico Hoerner drove home Shaw on a groundout to end Miller’s streak. Moments later, a wild pitch allowed Swanson to score, cutting the Cubs’ deficit to two.
Miller rebounded by getting Michael Busch to ground out before striking out Alex Bregman on a nasty 90 mph slider to end it.
“Padres win, that’s what matters at the end of the day,” Miller said. “Had to stare down the barrel, bases loaded, no outs. Got back to it and got out of there.”
The fact that Monday marked the first time since June 13 of last season (when he was still with the A’s) that Miller allowed three or more baserunners is a testament to just how untouchable he’s been.
Since joining the Padres at last season’s Trade Deadline, Miller has allowed only four runs in 37 2/3 innings. Of the 133 total batters he’s faced in that span, he’s struck out 73 of them. Even if the streak ended, Miller’s dominance will without a doubt continue.
“The beauty of it is you get to start another one,” Miller said. “Kind of reflecting -- I guess now is a little too soon -- but probably tonight and tomorrow, reflect on it and come in tomorrow ready to start a new one.”