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Mason Miller is human after all. More or less.
The San Diego Padres closer had not allowed a run in his previous 34.2 innings pitched through Monday night, but it all ended because of a ball that came off the bat at just 49.5 mph and appeared to land in foul territory.
Matt Shaw of the Chicago Cubs came to the plate with the Padres leading 9-5 and the dominant Miller in the slump. He rolled on a 1-1 breaking ball that dribbled down the third base line, hugging the foul line the entire way, but when third baseman Ty France scooped it up after it stopped rolling, the umpire called it fair.
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San Diego Padres third baseman Ty France reacts as umpire Dan Merzel calls a single hit by Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw during the ninth inning at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on April 27, 2026. (Denis Poroy/Imagn Images)
Both Francia and Padres manager Craig Stammen argued for the call, and replays appeared to clearly show that the base of the ball was completely in foul territory. However, the ruling was confirmed after a meeting between the referees and the play was not reviewable.
Miller then allowed two more singles to load the bases, and a force out brought in Shaw. Miller then threw a wild pitch to bring home another run.
Allowing his first two runs of the season, Miller’s ERA shot up to 1.26.
“The decision is what it is,” Miller told reporters after the game, via ESPN. “I thought I saw something different, but he was a lot closer than I was. And I think everyone in the stadium had an opinion, but in the end the only thing that matters is him, so those are the cards we were dealt.”
San Diego Padres third baseman Ty France waits as a single-hitter by Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw fouls out during the ninth inning at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on April 27, 2026. (Denis Poroy/Imagn Images)
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“Parents win, that’s what matters at the end of the day.”
“It stopped rolling,” France added. “I thought it was a foul, but they said the opposite. They said that they both did it fair and that it is a non-reviewable play.”
There is debate that considering the ball is obviously a sphere, an aerial view would block the white line, meaning it is actually a fair ball. However, the MLB rule book states that a fair ball is “a batted ball that settles on fair ground between home plate and first base, or between home plate and third base.”
In any case, the streak was the eighth-longest by a reliever since the expansion era began in 1961, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at.
San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller throws out a pitch during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on April 16, 2026. (David Frerker/Image Images)
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And as for Miller, he seemed to move forward quickly.
“The good thing about this is that you can start another one,” he said.
