MLB playoffs: Musgrove, Padres shut out Mets, advance to NLDS

Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Joe Musgrove allowed just one hit over seven scoreless innings to lead the San Diego Padres to a shutout victory in a National League Wild Card series finale with the New York Mets in Queens.

The Padres pitcher, who retired a dozen batters in order to start the game, tossed five strikeouts and issued one walk in the 6-0 triumph Sunday at Citi Field.

Musgrove also was subject to a bizarre check for a sticky substance behind his ears in the bottom of the sixth inning. Umpires later said they did not find any banned foreign substances that aided Musgrove in his pristine performance.

"I don't have much to say about it," Musgrove told reporters. "It was at the point in the game when it happened that I was so dialed in already.

"It almost lit a fire under me."

First base umpire Alfonso Marquez checks the ear of San Diego Padre pitcher Joe Musgrove (C) after a challenge from New York Mets manager Buck Showalter in the sixth inning during Game 3 of the National League Wild Card series on Sunday at Citi Field in Queens. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

Padres outfielder Juan Soto and catcher Austin Nola drove in two runs apiece. Third baseman Manny Machado and outfielder Trent Grisham also drove in runs in the victory.

The Padres now will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five game National League Division Series to determine who will advance to the National League Championship Series. Game 1 of the NLDS will be Tuesday in Los Angeles.

"It's tough, with the group we had and how close we were, to fall short," said Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt, who allowed three hits and three runs over four innings to take the loss.

"It's tough."

Neither team logged a hit in the first inning of Sunday's Wild Card finale. Nola then drove in designated hitter Josh Bell and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim with a two-run single in the top of the second.

Grisham pushed the Padres lead to three runs with another RBI single in the fourth. Machado followed with a third RBI single in the fifth. Soto plated the final two runs with yet another single in the top of the eighth.

Padres relievers Robert Suarez and Josh Hader each retired the Mets in order of the final two innings to seal the victory.

The top-seeded Dodgers, who earned a first-round bye, will host the Padres in Game 1 of the NLDS at 9:37 p.m. EDT Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. That series will air on FS1.