Padres’ Mason Miller pulls off strikeout feat not seen since his own manager did it

May 10, 2026 - 18:00

Closer Mason Miller has been lights out for the San Diego Padres in 2026. On Saturday, he completed a feat that manager Craig Stammen will be well aware of.

After already striking out two, Miller punched out Yohel Pozo for what should’ve been the final out. But he managed to reach first on a wild pitch, continuing the inning. Not to worry for Miller, as he struck out JJ Wetherholt to end the game. He became the first Padre to record four strikeouts in an inning since Stammen back in 2021.

The manager was quick with the jokes after Miller matched his feat, via Jay Parris of MLB.com.

“I heard that there was a guy that did it, and he wasn’t as good as Mason Miller,’’ Stammen said. “Thanks for bringing up good memories.”

While Miller did get four strikeouts, he also walked a pair alongside his wild pitch. The bases were loaded when he struck out Wetherholt. He’ll take the Ks, but the closer wants to be more consistent next time he is on the mound.

“Probably not a stat you are looking to get,’’ Miller said of his four-strikeout inning. “You got to get out of it.”

“Just not having good command coming out, not making adjustments fast enough. Then when you put guys in take mode, it gets a lot harder. Just not getting ahead, not putting myself in position to succeed.’’

The few hiccups look miniscule when looking at Miller’s body of work through the 2026 season. Over 18 appearances, the right-hander holds a 0.96 ERA and a 38/5 K/BB ratio. His 12 saves lead the major leagues.

Miller likely won’t have many more four strikeout opportunities. But if they do arise, the Padres are confident their closer can handle the situation.

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