It was a strange scene at Citi Field on Sunday night—not because the Mets were historically neutralized at the plate in a season-ending shutout loss against the Padres, but because of the illegal substance check on the way there. San Diego pitcher Joe Musgrove and internet observers didn’t care for Mets manager Buck Showalter’s move in the sixth inning to have Musgrove’s ear checked for illegal substances, and neither did the voice of the Mets.
“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,” Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen said in a postgame analysis. “It was not necessary. As it turned out, Musgrove was not cheating. If you’re going to pull a stunt like that, you better be right. And Buck wasn’t right.”
