Joe Musgrove dismissed chants of “Cheater!” after a atypical spot test by way of umpires at the mound, pitching his fatherland San Diego Padres into the following around of the playoffs on Sunday evening with seven innings of one-hit ball in a 6-0 victory over the New York Mets.
The umpires checked the pitcher for unlawful components within the 6th inning – together with an in depth have a look at his ears – after a request from Mets supervisor Buck Showalter. Nothing used to be discovered and the sport endured.
“I mean I get it dude,” Musgrove mentioned after the sport. “They’re on their last leg, they’re desperate. They’re doing everything they can to get me out of the game at that point. It is what it is.”
Ear test. This came about. percent.twitter.com/Qasf2Logt4
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) October 10, 2022
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Umpires now robotically test pitchers’ gloves, hats and hands for sticky stuff after innings, even if spot tests like the single asked by way of Showalter stay ordinary.
“All Buck requested was for us to check for an illegal substance, and that’s what the crew did,” staff leader Alfonso Marquez mentioned. “We checked him and we found nothing.”
Musgrove mentioned the incident had helped relatively than hindered him. “It motivated me a little bit,” Musgrove mentioned. “It fired me up.”
Showalter mentioned his determination to invite for the inspection used to be phase of the sport.
“We have privy to a lot of things. I love him as a pitcher always have,” Showalter mentioned. “I’m not getting into a lot of things … I don’t want to hurt somebody’s feelings. I’ve got to do what’s best for the New York Mets and our players.”
The atypical inspection lit up social media, with some cracking it appeared like Marquez used to be going to drag 1 / 4 from Musgrove’s ear.
Here we move. I ensure Musgrove has Red Hot on his ears. Pitchers use it as mechanism to stick locked in all over video games. It burns like loopy and IDK why some guys thinks it is helping them however under no circumstances is it “sticky.” Buck makes sense tho. Could be looking to simply throw him off.
— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) October 10, 2022
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Here we move. I ensure Musgrove has Red Hot on his ears. Pitchers use it as mechanism to stick locked in all over video games. It burns like loopy and IDK why some guys thinks it is helping them however under no circumstances is it “sticky.” Buck makes sense tho. Could be looking to simply throw him off.
— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) October 10, 2022
Milwaukee outfielder Andrew McCutchen had a stranger principle. “I guarantee Musgrove has Red Hot on his ears,” McCutchen tweeted. “Pitchers use it as mechanism to stay locked in during games. It burns like crazy and IDK why some guys thinks it helps them but in no way is it ‘sticky.’ Buck is smart tho. Could be trying to just throw him off.”
The chants of cheater had been non-public for Musgrove. He used to be a member of the 2017 Houston Astros World Series champions that had been discovered by way of Major League Baseball to have stolen indicators. The Astros’ dishonest scandal rocked the game. Musgrove informed the Associated Press this month he feels uncomfortable dressed in his championship ring and needs “one that feels earned” along with his fatherland Padres.
Elsewhere at the evening, Trent Grisham hit an RBI unmarried and made an incredible catch in heart box that helped the Padres take the best-of-three National League wildcard sequence 2-1. Austin Nola and Juan Soto each and every had a two-run unmarried.
San Diego complicated to stand the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five Division Series starting Tuesday – making sure the Padres will play in entrance of their house enthusiasts within the postseason for the primary time in 16 years once they go back to Petco Park for Game 3.
“We know that. We would love for them to be able to see some postseason games,” supervisor Bob Melvin mentioned Sunday afternoon. “To an extent, we feel like they’re a part of us.”
It used to be the 5th time the Padres have gained a playoff sequence. They took a first-round matchup in opposition to St. Louis in their very own ballpark with out a enthusiasts approved after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season earlier than being swept within the Division Series by way of the eventual World Series champion Dodgers.
For the Mets, a scintillating season ended with a whimper at house in entrance of empty seats. Baseball’s largest spenders gained 101 video games – the second-most in franchise historical past – however had been not able to carry off Atlanta within the NL East after sitting atop the department for all however six days.
New York had been up by way of 10.5 video games on 1 June and 7 on 10 August earlier than in any case ceding keep an eye on remaining weekend. The protecting World Series champions snatched away their 5th consecutive department identify and a first-round playoff bye at the power of a head-to-head sweep in Atlanta – and the Mets by no means totally recovered.
New York ace Max Scherzer used to be rocked in a Game 1 loss to San Diego and, after the Mets gained Game 2 in the back of Jacob deGrom to stave off removing, they mustered virtually not anything in opposition to Musgrove.
No 3 starter Chris Bassitt lasted simply 4 innings, giving up 3 runs and 3 hits with 3 pricey walks to batters close to the ground of the order.
Pete Alonso‘s leadoff unmarried within the 5th and Starling Marte‘s stroll to begin the 7th had been the one baserunners approved by way of Musgrove in his first occupation postseason get started.
Robert Suarez and Josh Hader completed the one-hitter.