Padres' Mason Miller Doesn't Hold Back After Biggest Blunder of Season

Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres had been almost unhittable all season long, but that changed on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After not allowing a home run in over a calendar year, Miller gave up a go-ahead shot to Pittsburgh's Oneil Cruz in the top of the ninth inning. This home run was the difference in the Padres' 1-0 loss to the Pirates, dropping the series to Pittsburgh.

Following the outing, Padres manager Craig Stammen said his closer was "human". But Miller wasn't making any excuses, calling himself out for the mistake.

“Humans can be idiots sometimes,” Miller said. “Tip your hat. Good swing. Crushed it obviously. But I just can't be throwing that pitch in that spot.”

Before the home run, Miller had gone 76.2 innings without allowing a long ball, which was the longest active streak in the majors. But Cruz put a barrel on the ball, sending it over the fence in front of the Petco Park faithful.

CRUZ MISSILE

Oneil Cruz lines a go-ahead home run 111.8 MPH off the bat! pic.twitter.com/AFbom56kHn
— MLB (@MLB) August 26, 2026

Miller rarely throws changeups, with the right-hander only offering them around 5% of the time. But this time, it backfired on him in what can be seen as a simple miscue in an extremely dominant season.

“Looking back, I can be a good enough self-evaluator to say that that was a stupid pitch,” Miller said. “But, yeah, I was convicted in it and had a plan. Didn’t execute it.”

On the year, Miller has been absolutely lights-out for the Padres. Miller owns a 0.96 ERA over 56.1 innings, recording 32 saves in 33 opportunities.

This one game won't define Miller's season, but it will linger with him in the back of his mind. This determination to be great is a big reason for the success Miller has seen in the major leagues.

Some will point to the heavy workload that Miller has taken on recently, with the right-hander throwing in three of four games prior. Miller also threw 30 pitches on Monday against the Pirates, but he said that he was good enough to get back on the mound.

“I felt good enough to go today,” Miller said. “We had a lot of guys throw yesterday. That’s part of my value and part of my responsibility to this team and to my teammates — to be available any time that I can.

“My workload’s been high. But it wasn’t: ‘Yeah, I wasn’t feeling good, didn’t have my best stuff.’ I think it was just one dumb pitch, and that’s kind of the story.”

The Padres are in a tight race for playoff positioning, with there being a very crowded field in the National League wild-card race. While the team doesn't want to overwork anyone, Miller is easily the best pitcher that the team has.

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