MLB Rumors: Padres Players Boycotted Interviews During NLDS G3 After Insider's Column

The San Diego Padres reportedly boycotted in-game interviews with Fox Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal during Tuesday's NLDS Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, after Rosenthal wrote an article critical of Manny Machado and the Padres following Game 2.

Acee noted that the Padres only planned on boycotting interviews for one game.

In the column, Rosenthal described Machado lightly throwing a ball into the Dodgers' dugout during a heated game as a "punkish response" and dubbed it as the "Sinister Sling." He wrote that Machado is "entirely willing to engage in conduct some might consider unbecoming, and he's unapologetic about it."

He also described Fernando Tatís Jr. as a "smiling, dancing peacock" and Jurickson Profar as "the kid who pulls the fire alarm at school and then asks, 'Who, me?'"

Alongside the boycott, Tatís responded by putting emojis of a man dancing and a peacock on his Instagram Stories following Tuesday's 6-5 win in Game 3.

The Dodgers were not thrilled with Machado's toss into the dugout, with manager Dave Roberts feeling it was directed at him. Video of the incident didn't show a particularly hard throw, and nobody was struck by the baseball.

The game featured Profar and Tatís jawing back and forth with Dodgers fans in the outfield, Tatís getting hit by a pitch and Dodgers fans throwing throwing debris and baseballs at Padres in the outfield and bullpen, among other points of contention.

The Machado toss in particular became a major talking point, however, and Profar told reporters the entirety of Game 2's drama "motivated us."

"Like all those things—all (that) lying I don't know, man. It's a great team over there. I don't think they need all (that) lying," he continued. "We just need to play baseball. ... Like Fernando's dancing. You guys are insulting us. You (are) throwing stuff. You do everything. What do you want him to do? He's reacting like that, he's dancing like that because of you guys. And they make it seem like no, he's dancing and taunting the fans. Do you think he just goes to the field to be dancing? Really?"

Game 3, while another fantastic matchup, was a far less contentious affair. With the Dodgers now a loss away from elimination, however, it wouldn't be surprising if Game 4 had this rivalry running hot yet again.