With everything on the line in October, the intensity is cranked up to 100 on every pitch.
And with the San Diego Padres trying to come back from down 3-0 to the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning to save their season, the dial might have been twisted even higher than that.
So, when home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn rung up Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts on a pitch that appeared to be below the zone in the inning, it wasn't just San Diego's fans who were left yelling in frustration.
With San Diego unable to scratch across the tying run, X user @padsfanatic caught video of members of the Padres screaming profanities at the umpire crew and needing to be physically restrained as they left the dugout.
The call came right before two Padres batters were hit by pitches, bringing the would-be go-ahead run to the plate, but Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin couldn't extend the inning, ending San Diego's season.
"Looked down to me. You know, but I don't see great, and I am kind of far away. But most importantly, Bogey felt like it was down," Padres manager Mike Shildt said after the game. "He is not a guy, not any of our guys really, but Bogey in particular is not a guy that's overly dramatic about close pitches.
"It's a big pitch. It's a big swing pitch. You know, it turns the tying run and what would have unfolded after that could have been very impactful, but we had other opportunities, too."
The Padres' season comes to a close after they went 90-72, clinching the National League's second wild-card spot and earning a berth in the post-season for the second straight year.
Despite some of the team's success, the frustration shown in the dugout post-game carried into the locker room, where star third baseman Manny Machado took issue with a reporter asking him to assess the club's year.
"What type of question is that, dude?" Machado replied. "My guy. How do I assess the season? We just lost. How do you think I assess it?"
After a brief exchange, the 33-year-old continued.
"You can ask better questions than that. Let's go. Come on. You're gonna ask until last second to ask that question? Come on, bro. You know better than that."
The seven-time all-star went 1-for-10 in the series against the Cubs with a home run and two walks.
Since Machado signed with the Padres in 2019, the team has made the playoffs four times, but has only made it past the NLDS once, losing in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 NLCS.
While Machado is set to be a Padre through 2033, San Diego will surely look like a new team next season, with a number of significant contributors set to become free agents.
