Sports

Why The Umpire That Ended Mason Miller’s Scoreless Streak On Debatable Fair Ball Was Right

by Last Updated

iStockphoto / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images


Mason Miller made San Diego history with a scoreless streak that lasted nearly 35 innings. He will not go down in the MLB record book.

The pitcher was stripped of the opportunity following a controversial fair ball ruling. He responded with disagreement after the Padres win.

Was the right call made? That’s up for debate.

Mason Miller’s scoreless streak came to an end.

Miller is in just his fourth big-league season after being picked in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He debuted two years later with the A’s, starting six games while posting a 3.78 ERA.

The pitcher was traded to San Diego last season. He’s since made 50 appearances in late relief. This year, he leads the National League with 10 saves.

Miller’s numbers jump off the page. His ERA with the Padres is 0.96. He’s struck out 28 batters in just 14.1 innings. The stuff is electric.

The reliever allowed two runs in his second appearance with San Diego in 2025. He then pitched 34 scoreless frames across 33 games.

It came to an end in the ninth inning on Monday.

Controversy surrounds the streak.

Cubs hitter Matt Shaw chopped a groundball down the third base line in Chicago’s final at-bat. Infielder Ty France let the ball roll foul… or so he thought.

The ball trickled outside the chalk. There was no contact with the baseline. It was ruled fair.

That ruling sparked an immediate rules debate online. What is a fair ball?

Many deemed the ball foul upon first look. The ball was not touching the baseline. Clear-cut, right?

Maybe not. The baseball is a sphere. There was at least some portion hanging over the chalk in the eyes of the umpire. That, he determined, made it fair.

To further illustrate that line of thinking, we can use the base as a reference. The MLB defines a fair ball as follows:

Any batted ball that first contacts a fielder while the ball is in fair territory is considered fair. If not touched by a fielder, any batted ball that first contacts the field in fair territory beyond first or third base — with the foul lines and foul poles counting as fair territory — is considered fair. Batted balls that first contact the field between home plate and first or third base are considered fair if they subsequently bounce over or directly contact either base, or otherwise pass either base while in fair territory. They are also considered fair if they settle in fair territory between home plate and first or third base, including instances in which they bounce off home plate.

The key sentence is, “Batted balls that first contact the field between home plate and first or third base are considered fair if they subsequently bounce over or directly contact either base.”

Even if a batted ball, similar to the one hit by Shaw, is not in direct contact with the chalk, it is fair should it touch any part of the bag. It goes back to the spherical shape.

Any ball within home plate and third base should be ruled in the same manner.

Had this ball continued to roll in a direct straight line towards third base, the umpire believes it would’ve contacted the bag. Fair ball!

Mason Miller disagreed.

You can debate whether or not the ball was hanging over the line. The umpire had the best view. Either way, the play is non-reviewable. The scoreless streak would come to an end three batters later.