Foul call? Streak ends for Pads' Miller amid drama
Key takeaways
- Baseball truly is a game of inches, and sometimes less.
- Cubs leadoff batter Matt Shaw hit a squibber up the third-base line that appeared to roll just foul before Padres infielder Ty France picked up the ball.
- "The call is what it is," Miller told reporters after the game.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Baseball truly is a game of inches, and sometimes less. Just ask San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller.
Miller's team-record streak of 34⅔ scoreless innings dating to last season -- the eighth-longest streak for a relief pitcher since 1961 -- came to an end in the Padres' 9-7 victory against the Chicago Cubs on Monday night, but not without some controversy.
Cubs leadoff batter Matt Shaw hit a squibber up the third-base line that appeared to roll just foul before Padres infielder Ty France picked up the ball. Home-plate umpire Dan Merzel and third-base umpire Shane Livensparger, however, didn't see it that way and said the ball was still in fair territory when it was picked up and that the play was non-reviewable.