Joe Musgrove pitched seven innings of one-hit ball to help the San Diego Padres past the New York Mets 6-0 in Game 3 of their National League Wild Card series at Citi Field.
"You could see the resolve in his face and the demeanor he had", said manager Bob Melvin. "He was on a mission today."
Trent Grisham hit an RBI single and made a fine catch in the field while Austin Nola and Juan Soto each had two-run singles as San Diego advances to face the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.
For the Mets, the loss ends a season that saw them win 101 games and share the National League East title with Atlanta.
Musgrove dazzles as Padres end Mets season prematurely
Musgrove, making his first career playoff start, permitted just a single by Pete Alonso in the fifth and a walk to Starling Marte in the seventh.
"They flat-out beat us", Alonso said.
Warming up for the sixth inning, Mets manager Buck Showalter requested Musgrove to be checked by the umpires.
First base umpire and crew chief Alfonso Marquez explained the situation by saying "all Buck requested was for us to check for an illegal substance."
The six umps huddled and then went to the mound. Marquez felt Musgrove's glove, cap — even his ears — searching for any unauthorized sticky substances.
"We found nothing", he said.
Musgrove himself wasn't fazed by the bizarre situation. "I've seen him do it before. Checking the pitcher. I get it, dude. They're on their last leg, they're desperate, they're doing everything they can to get me out of the game."
Both managers spoke of the situation with Showalter stating "I love him as a pitcher, always have. I feel kind of bad about it, but it won't cast anything.
"He's too good a pitcher, and they're too good. The spin rates and the different things i'm sure you're all aware of when something jumps out at you.
"I'm charged with doing what's best for the New York Mets. If it makes me look however it makes me look or whatever, i'm going to do it every time and live with the consequences."
Melvin defended his pitcher, saying "Joe Musgroves is a man of character. Questioning his character, that's the part I have a problem with, and i'm here to tell everybody that Joe Musgrove is as above board as any pitcher I know.
"Unfortunately that happened to him because the reception that he got after that was not warranted."