'He's The Best in the Game': Dodgers Heap Praise on Padres' Mason Miller

San Diego Padres star closer Mason Miller continued his excellent season on Monday by shutting the door on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Miller walked the first two batters of the ninth inning, and then recorded the next three outs to convert his 15th save of the season.

This has been the norm for Miller and the Padres all season long, with the right-hander giving the team a major advantage late in games. So far this year, Miller has exceeded all expectations, and he has emerged as one of the best pitchers in the game.

Following the outing, multiple members of the Dodgers organization praised the Padres closer for his ability on the mound. Dodgers star Freddie Freeman spoke about facing Miller, throwing praise onto the right-hander.

“Scoring off Mason is going to be really hard to do,” Freeman said after the Dodgers' 1-0 loss. “It’s going to take one of those kinds of innings where you can maybe walk a couple of guys and get a bloop. Not much squaring up going on against him. But we had an opportunity, maybe with him throwing a lot of pitches might make him be down next game. You just try to have little wins.”

With the Padres' offense being fairly inconsistent this season, San Diego has needed everything and more from Miller. The right-hander has been discussed in potential Cy Young conversations this year, which would be an amazing feat from a reliever.

Miller has been one of the more unhittable arms in the game this season, and he showed it against Los Angeles.

While he hasn't been as electric in recent outings, Miller has been able to limit any damage and still help the Padres win games. Having a guy who can work through problems is crucial, and Miller has proven himself this season.

Overall, Miller has thrown 22 innings on the year, posting an ERA of 0.82. The right-hander is also a perfect 15 for 15 in save opportunities.

“A guy like that, he’s the best in the game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “You know if you don’t get him, there’s swing-and-miss in there, there’s soft contact.”

Most teams don't have a great chance against Miller, meaning that they have to grab leads over the Padres before the late innings. San Diego's bullpen is one of the best in the game, and having multiple quality arms has led to the Padres having real success.

“When they’re ahead in the seventh inning," Roberts added, "they don’t lose.”

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