Mason Miller Is 32 2/3 Scoreless Innings Away From Joining Baseball Royalty

Mason Miller just did it again. The Padres closer recorded another scoreless save Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium, this time in a 2-1 victory over the Angels. And with that save, Miller extended his scoreless streak to 32 2/3 innings. He's now one inning shy of Cla Meredith's Padres franchise record, set way back in 2006.

Think about that for a second. One inning. That's all that separates Miller from joining one of the most elite club in franchise history.

The Numbers Are Absolutely Bonkers

We talk about dominant closers. We talk about guys who lock things down. But Miller's numbers this season are on another level entirely. He's faced 38 hitters total, and only four have reached base. Two walks, two singles. That's it. Meanwhile, he's struck out 27 of those 38 hitters for a 71.1% strikeout rate.

For context: that's the highest strikeout rate by any pitcher in his first 11 appearances of a season since at least 1900. On Sunday alone, Miller struck out two of the three Angels hitters he faced. And you know what happened? His strikeout rate actually went down.

Manager Craig Stammen summed it up perfectly: "It's just amazing [for Miller] to be the same person … and be as elite and at the top of his game almost every single time. That's not easy to do. It's almost impossible to do."

The Padres Are Unstoppable Right Now

The Padres have won 10 of their last 11 games and 13 of 15 overall. They've moved within half a game of the Dodgers in the National League West. And honestly, with Miller on the mound late? Fernando Tatis Jr. said it best on Saturday night: "Game over."

This bullpen is stacked. Adrian Morejon and Jason Adam, both All-Stars last season, are just setup men. On Sunday, both were unavailable, so rookie Bradgley Rodriguez picked up five big outs. The Padres knew what they were doing when they traded their top prospect, Leo De Vries, to the A's to acquire Miller at last year's trade deadline.

Miller isn't thinking about the streak, though. "Success is a scary place sometimes, where you get complacent," he said. "So I'm just staying up on everything and always focusing on getting a little better."

One more scoreless inning and history is his.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.