The San Diego Padres are fine with the way things turned out in Monday’s 9-7 MLB victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Unfortunately, though, closer Mason Miller saw his team-record scoreless streak end at 34 2/3 innings during an unusual ninth inning.
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San Diego entered the inning leading 9-5. Miller, who started the frame on the mound, found himself in a bases-loaded, no-out jam, the tying run standing at the plate. He stifled the Chicago rally, though he surrendered a pair of runs in the process.
“Padres win, that’s what matters at the end of the day,” Miller said, per MLB.com. “Had to stare down the barrel, bases loaded, no outs. Got back to it and got out of there.”
The Cubs’ uprising began with a disputed call, shared by Talkin’ Baseball on X.
Leadoff batter Matt Shaw hit a chopper down the third-base line. Padres third baseman Ty France let the ball roll, picking it up when it stopped. Although the ball appeared to be on the foul side of the chalk line, home-plate umpire Dan Merzel ruled it a fair ball. Shaw reached on an infield single.
Merzel asked for help from third-base umpire Shane Livensparger, who agreed it was a fair ball.
“I thought it was foul, but … they said they both had it fair and it’s a non-reviewable play,” France said.
Chicago’s Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong followed Shaw with singles to load the bases against Miller. The closer lost his scoreless streak on a groundout by Nico Hoerner. Then, a Miller wild pitch handed the Cubs another run before he recorded the final two outs.
Miller set the Padres’ record for consecutive scoreless innings on Saturday when he passed reliever Cla Meredith. His streak is the eighth-longest for an MLB reliever since 1961.
“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.”
The Padres host the Cubs again at 9:40 p.m. ET Tuesday.