"Anytime we get punched in the mouth we show up the next day ready to swing back" - San Diego Padres Mike Clevinger motivated after crucial bounceback victory
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Mike Clevinger came out firing on Wednesday night. Just to clarify, I'm referring to both his pitching performance and his postgame interview. Clevinger obviously took exception to comments made by some of the Arizona Diamondbacks commentators. With that chip on his shoulder, he was a man on a mission during the Padres' 4-0 win over the Diamondbacks.
With Manny Machado still injured, the Padres relied on small ball to overcome the Diamondbacks and break a three-game losing streak. Clevinger was close to flawless, striking out six and allowing just one hit in six innings to earn his second win of the season.
"Anytime we get punched in the mouth we show up the next day ready to swing back"
@MikeClevinger caught up with @annieheilbrunn after an amazing outing 🔊
#TimeToShine | @Padres | #PadresWin https://t.co/5xGoSA3wc7
"'Anytime we get punched in the mouth we show up the next day ready to swing back' @MikeClevinger caught up with @annieheilbrunn after an amazing outing." - Bally Sports San Diego
The 31-year-old starter seemed to call out Diamondbacks broadcaster Bob Brenley's over his earlier comments. Brenley obviously hit a nerve, and Clevinger felt the need to speak up and defend his teammates.
"It's hard to sit here and hear guys in the booth get to talk all they want, and not know who the guys in the clubhouse are," added Clevinger.
in the desert.
🌞 in the desert. https://t.co/7PrP9EWnMx
"In the desert." - 97.3 The Fan
For both the San Diego Padres and Clevinger, this was clearly a vital win. Perhaps it was that the Padres were on a three-game losing streak. Or maybe it's the fact that they are only 1.5 games behind the LA Dodgers in the highly competitive National League West. For Clevinger, it may have been that this was only his seventh start of the season after dealing with a string of injuries over the past year.
The San Diego Padres broke a three-game losing streak, defeating Arizona 4-0
The San Diego Padres improved to 46-31 on the season. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games, which isn't terrible considering MVP contender Manny Machado missed the majority of that stretch. They also hold the best away record in the NL with a .625 winning percentage (25-15).
They have been surprisingly resiliant this season in what has to be the most talented division in baseball. With Fernando Tatis Jr. missing the entire season and Manny Machado out since June 19, the Padres are exceeding expectations.
With Clevinger now healthy, the San Diego Padres boast one of the best starting rotations in the league. Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Sean Manaea, and MacKenzie Gore have all had strong starts to the season.
The NL West is hard to call. Three teams are currently battling it out for first place. The Dodgers and Padres meet on Thursday night in the first game of a highly anticipated four-game series.