Aug 19, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) is congratulated by Xander Bogaerts (2) after scoring during the fifth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Padres Star Has 5-Word Message to New Teammate Following Win Over Dodgers

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Aaron Coloma | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 3:28 PM ET

San Diego Padres All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts had a message for relief pitcher Mason Miller after the Padres' 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

Miller came into the game in the eight inning and walked two of the first three batters he faced before forcing pinch-hitter Dalton Rushing to ground into a double play. Rushing grounded the ball to first baseman Luis Arraez, who threw the ball to Bogaerts at second.

Bogaerts threw a low ball back to a covering Miller, who picked the ball on a short hop and got the Padres out of the inning.

"Mason Miller I Love You," Bogaerts wrote with emojis of a heart and a smile following.

Safe to say Bogey is a big fan of his new teammate https://t.co/2qhZNS6VAM pic.twitter.com/w0KM2gULfE
— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) August 23, 2025

Miller, who arrived from the Athletics at the trade deadline in exchange for four prospects, has now thrown two scoreless innings against the Dodgers, and is proving to be a valuable addition to an already elite Padres bullpen.

He has a 3.42 ERA on the season, and has allowed just two runs through nine innings with the Padres while striking out 16 batters.

The Friars' win snapped their three-game losing streak against the Dodgers, and brought them into a tie for first in the NL West, though they're behind on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Bogaerts had the winning RBI in the game, a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.

The Padres have now won four straight games, and will look to win their first series against the Dodgers on Saturday behind the efforts of another deadline addition, Nestor Cortes. The Dodgers will start Tyler Glasnow on Saturday, who the Padres fared well against last time out.

The Padres generated six hits and two runs through five innings against the All-Star in their last series, and will hope to create even more offense in front of the home crowd.

A win against the Dodgers on Saturday would give the Padres sole possession of first place over a recently inconsistent Dodgers team, and would flip the remainder of the season on its head. The Padres haven't won the NL West since 2006, and a series win over their bitter rivals with 33 games left to play would give them a massive boost for the remainder of 2025.

The second game of their final series against the Dodgers this season begins Saturday at 5:40 p.m. PT.