Not that the A’s needed it. But Padres closer Mason Miller did a good job reminding them what they’re missing out on.

Miller nailed down the final three outs of the Padres’ 2-0 victory over his former team on Saturday night in San Diego.

“It was good — shutout ball for the boys, so you’re always happy with that,” Miller told Padres.TV. “And a little extra for me.”

Here’s some instant reaction from Petco Park, where the Padres secured their first series victory at home in more than a month:

Miller caps a brilliant night for the Padres’ bullpen

The A’s seem quite happy with Leo De Vries, currently ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 overall prospect. But the Padres sure aren’t regretting the deal to send him to the A’s last summer.

Because they have Miller.

And Miller has somehow gotten even better since his arrival in San Diego. He was already an elite reliever when the Padres gave up a haul of prospects, including De Vries, to acquire him at the Trade Deadline. Now, he’s the best closer in baseball, having nailed down all 16 of his save opportunities this season.

Saturday marked the first time Miller has faced the A’s since that deal. In the buildup, he’d been extremely complimentary of his former organization — but also seemed to want the chance to face so many familiar faces.

“It’s exciting to compete against a bunch of friends and former teammates, guys that I came up with and have seen them grow a lot in their own regard, too,” Miller said. “It’s just exciting on a lot of different levels.”

Miller made quick work of the A’s, striking out the first two hitters he faced before getting Jeff McNeil to bounce harmlessly to first. It capped a flawless night for the San Diego ‘pen. All four high-leverage arms — Jeremiah Estrada in the sixth, Adrian Morejon in the seventh, Jason Adam in the eighth and Miller in the ninth — worked a scoreless inning.

Earlier this week, Ty France received his 2025 Gold Glove Award. On Saturday night, he made it very clear why he’d earned that distinction. France turned not one, not two, but three double plays at first base — each of them slightly different in its own way.

In the third, he made a one-hop pick on a Nick Kurtz grounder and smartly tagged the runner, then the bag. In the fourth he turned a standard 3-6-3 — but it was by no means an easy throw (or cover). In the fifth came the easy one: a liner right at France, before he promptly stepped on the bag for the double play.

France has proven an astute signing for the Padres. A non-roster invitee to Spring Training, he earned a roster spot and has entrenched himself as a valuable bench piece and the team’s top defensive first baseman.

And, oh yeah, he’s hitting .268 with an .802 OPS.

Lucas Giolito pitched five innings. He struck out two, walked five and allowed four hits.

So how on earth did he manage to hold the A’s scoreless across those five frames?

It took a combination of things — help, good fortune and some big pitches in big spots. Giolito clearly got some help from his defense and benefitted some batted-ball luck. But he also made those big pitches when he needed them.

Giolito is still building up. This was his second start of the season after he’d only signed with the Padres in late April (then made a small handful of Minor League starts).

Two things can be true about Giolito’s first couple of outings: He’s going to need to pitch better — specifically, to command better — to sustain this level of success. But he also gets credit for the results — both victories.