Oakland Athletics Closer Mason Miller Keeps Making History After Latest Spotless Save

Mason Miller continued to carve out space in the MLB history books when he notched his 15th consecutive scoreless appearance in the Athletics' win on Tuesday.

May 21, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Mason Miller (19) celebrates after defeating the Colorado Rockies 5-4 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Leading 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, there wasn't any question about who the Oakland Athletics were bringing in to close out the Colorado Rockies.

Right-hander Mason Miller has been the hottest reliever in baseball all season long, and he continued that streak Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The 25-year-old rising star struck out all three batters he faced, notching his ninth save of the year and handing the A's their 20th win of the season.

According to MLB.com's Martín Gallegos, Miller became the first MLB reliever with a 15-game stretch of no runs allowed, 40-plus strikeouts and fewer than five walks since 1901.

From our MLB Research team: Since 1901, Mason Miller is the first reliever with a 15-game stretch of no runs allowed, 40-plus strikeouts and fewer than five walks.
pic.twitter.com/RBBQ9ACovu

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) May 22, 2024

Miller now owns a 0.89 ERA, 0.590 WHIP and 1.4 WAR through 16 appearances this season. In just 20.1 innings of work, he's already racked up 41 strikeouts, and he is a perfect 9-for-9 in save opportunities.

Since his shaky season debut against the Cleveland Guardians on March 30, Miller has gone 19.1 innings without giving up a run. He has only allowed four hits and four walks in that span as well, giving him a 0.414 WHIP.

The A's are now 12-4 when Miller takes the mound, compared to 8-26 when he does not.

Oakland selected the righty in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He eventually became the organization's top pitching prospect, showing flashes upon his big league debut in 2023, but an elbow injury led the Athletics to reassess how they were going to use Miller in the short-term.

Moving Miller into the bullpen seems to have paid off – and then some – as no other reliever in league history has gotten off to as hot a start as he is on in 2024.

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