Joe Musgrove on substance check by Mets: 'They're desperate'

San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove dominated the New York Mets on Sunday night both before and after he was checked for foreign substances. Not only did the substance check not bother him, but Musgrove says it gave him some added motivation late in the game.

Musgrove was dominant in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series between the Padres and Mets. The right-hander helped his team win the series by allowing no runs and just one hit in seven innings. Prior to the start of the bottom of the sixth, Showalter asked the umpiring crew to check Musgrove for foreign substances. The umps complied and checked everything from Musgrove’s glove to his ears.

Nothing was found, and Musgrove breezed through a 1-2-3 sixth. He was asked about the substance check after he led the Padres to a 6-0 win. The 29-year-old chalked it up to the Mets being “desperate.”