Padres coach trolls Buck Showalter after playoff win

While the National League Wild Card Series between the San Diego Padres and New York Mets came to an end on Sunday night, there may still be some lingering bad blood between the teams — at least with some of the coaches.

New York was thoroughly outclassed in the decisive third game. The most notable moment in the 6-0 game came not with a play, but when Mets manager Buck Showalter asked that the umpires check Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove for foreign substances before the bottom of the sixth inning. They honored Showalter’s request but found nothing illegal on Musgrove.

At the end of the game, it was a talking point. Gary Cohen, the Mets play-by-play man weighed in on SNY’s postgame show. He noted that Showalter was “completely within his rights to ask the umpires to check a pitcher for foreign substances. It’s up to the umpires then to decide whether it’s an appropriate thing to do.” Then, much to the chagrin of New York’s unhappy fans nearby, Cohen  got more critical.

“I thought that considering the circumstances, 4-0, sixth inning, season on the line, it smacked of desperation and it was fairly embarrassing, I thought, for Buck to do that in that spot. It was not necessary and as it turned out, Musgrove was not cheating. I think if you’re going to pull a stunt like that, you better be right. And Buck wasn’t right.”

It’s somewhat unique to hear a team’s broadcaster be so critical of the manager but by no means unprecedented. And really, Cohen’s comments were in line with what several viewers said about the moment.

Only, one man wasn’t going to leave it there. Ruben Niebla is San Diego’s pitching coach. And while he was no doubt basking in the dominant performance of Musgrove, as well as relievers Robert Suárez and Josh Hader, Niebla took a moment to endorse Cohen’s feelings. He quoted the original tweet with the caption, “I’ll leave this here….”

At the least, it’s a pretty clear endorsement of Cohen’s view. It also feels like some top-notch trolling on the part of Niebla.

While the Padres are moving on in the playoffs and getting ready for a Division Series showdown with the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets can look ahead to what 2023 has to offer. San Diego will visit Citi Field early, going there for a three-game series from Monday, April 10 through Wednesday, April 12. New York will then travel to San Diego from Friday, July 7 through Sunday, July 9 for the final three games before the All-Star Break.

It’s safe to say that those games will be hotly anticipated.

[Sports TV News & Updates, Ruben Niebla]