30 Consecutive Scoreless Innings: Rewriting Padres History

Mason Miller struck out all three batters he faced on Thursday night at Petco Park to seal a 5-2 Padres victory over the Seattle Mariners. His scoreless streak now stands at 30⅔ innings, just three shy of the franchise record of 33⅔ held by Colt Meredith.

Moving Past a Legend

The outing moved Miller past Randy Jones (30 innings) into sole possession of second place on the all-time Padres list. Jones, a beloved Hall of Famer for the franchise, passed away last November at 75. The Padres are wearing his No. 35 as a jersey patch this season in his honor.

"We're wearing his patch, his name is on the facade of the stadium — it's just special that we're recognizing his greatness, especially given the recency of his passing," Miller said. "I'm just happy to honor him and have people talking about him."

The two pitchers couldn't be more different. Jones was a diminutive left-hander who relied on weak contact and quick outs, rarely striking anyone out. Miller is a power arm who overwhelms hitters with triple-digit heat and a devastating slider. Manager Craig Stammen put it simply: "Mason's right there with him."

120 Years of MLB History — and Still the Best

Of 30 plate appearances against Miller this season, only Luis Arraez has recorded a hit. Miller has struck out 23 of the remaining 29 — a 76.7% strikeout rate, the highest by any pitcher in his first nine appearances of a season in 120 years.

All three strikeouts on Thursday came on called strike threes, a rarity — entering the game, just one of his previous 20 punchouts had come looking. Hitters appear to be freezing up against his stuff.

Miller credits his improvement to a new level of consistency in the strike zone. "Historically, when I get beat, it's after a walk or self-inflicted damage," he said. "I'm trying to come at guys and force decisions without putting myself in bad counts." The combination of a precisely located fastball and slider is proving nearly impossible to hit.

Redefining What a Closer Can Be

Millers's dominance is pushing the boundaries of what we expect from a relief pitcher. With the Padres off to a strong start, all eyes are on whether his historic scoreless run will continue — and whether he can claim the franchise record outright.