Chris Paddack sat at his locker, wearing a “Let The Kids Play” T-shirt, when he uttered the words that would turn an early-May game at Petco Park into a bout of national interest. On Saturday, two days before his start against the New York Mets and reigning National League Rookie of the Month Pete Alonso, the Padres’ own standout rookie volunteered the type of soundbite that is almost unheard of amid the marathon slog of a major-league season.“He’s a great player, no doubt,” Paddack, referring to Alonso, said in an interview with The Athletic . “Does he deserve (the Rookie of the Month honor)? Absolutely. But I’m coming for him. We’ll see Monday who the top dog is. That’s something I’m looking forward to, for sure.<doc-sep>SAN DIEGO — Chris Paddack took his NL Rookie of the Month slight seriously. The Padres brash right-hander fired 7 ²/₃ shutout innings in which he allowed only four hits and struck out 11, lowering his ERA to 1.55 in Monday night’s 4-0 victory over the Mets. In an anticipated matchup, Paddack struck out Mets first baseman Pete Alonso twice, each time pumping a fist in celebration. Alonso grounded out in his third at-bat against him. Paddack raised eyebrows before the series by naming Alonso as competition in the NL Rookie of the Year race. This after Alonso was recently named NL Rookie of the Month over Paddack. “Do I wish it was me? Yeah,” Paddack told San Diego reporters. “But the way I look at it is, do you want to be Rookie of the Month or Rookie of the Year? We’ll see man. We’ve got a long season and I’m looking forward to Monday, competing against him.” Alonso held back from returning fire on Paddack. “He said he wanted me and he pitched really well today,” Alonso said. “I know what he said and for me it doesn’t sit well and for us as a team it definitely sucks after this one. “[Paddack] wanted me and he definitely got me tonight. It kind of fired me up and it was going to be a good matchup and I didn’t answer the bell.”<doc-sep>SAN DIEGO — Pete Alonso was the “top dog” as far as National League rookies go in April, but there’s plenty of time left for Chris Paddack to win one too. And judging by the way the San Diego Padres’ right-hander pitched Monday night against the Mets, he’s well on his way to one. Paddack opened the series between the Padres and Mets by sparking controversy. He told reporters on Sunday night he was looking forward to pitching to Alonso in a statement that was confident, while maybe bordering on cocky, depending on who you ask: “He’s a great player, no doubt. Does he deserve (the Rookie of the Month award)? Absolutely. But I’m coming for him. We’ll see Monday who the top dog is. That’s something I’m looking forward to, for sure. And I’m not saying that in a cocky way. I’m saying that because I know what I want, just like I’m sure he knows what he wants. It’ll be a fun little matchup.” It was fun. Very fun. Paddack was fiery and emotional. He looked like he was pitching in Game 7 of the World Series and not a Monday night game in early May. KEUCHEL: Free agent pitcher won't settle VOIT: Yankees slugger becomes overnight folk hero Some fans took offense, saying it was disrespect shown toward the opponent. Some media members called it unprofessional. But in the end, it was Paddack who won in dominant fashion, tossing 7 2/3 shutout innings. He struck out a career-high 11 and allowed only four hits, one to Mets’ ace Jacob deGrom. “His stuff was OK,” deGrom said. “He located well tonight.” Facing Alonso in the first and third innings, Paddack located two high fastballs and got the rookie slugger to swing. They were good pitches. Pitches deGrom might even make. “A little bit of deGrom,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “He used his big curveball a little bit more than deGrom would but the extension, the body, the way he can elevate, the way he can get that first pitch down for a strike and then elevate is very similar to what deGrom can do.” Paddack and the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner have similar builds, deliveries and if this was two years ago, similar hairstyles. However, deGrom wouldn’t say he was “going after” someone. He’d just do it on the mound. But there’s nothing wrong with either approach. Sports aren’t sports without a little trash talk. Alonso used Paddack’s comments to get his own competitive juices flowing. “If that’s who he is, then that’s who he is,” Alonso said. “There are plenty of different personalities in this game but at the end of the day, he showed today. Nothing we can do about it. He threw up a bunch of zeroes.” Alonso has fallen back to earth somewhat after a hot April. He went 0-for-4 against Paddack and Craig Stammen on Monday night. Paddack may be heating up. His ERA is down to 1.55. If these two were in the same division this budding rivalry might be a lot more entertaining to watch but unfortunately, they’re on opposite coasts. If Paddack wants that NL Rookie of the Month award, he can come and get it. “If he was upset about it I’m assuming he could have been a little bit jealous,” Alonso said. “He had a (heck) of a first month, he had like a sub-2.00 ERA? That’s a great month. I’m happy to win it. “If he was mad about that, there are five other months.”<doc-sep>"Well, he said he wanted me and pitched really well today,” Alonso said. “I know what he said. To me, it doesn't sit well. For us, as a team, it definitely sucks after this one. Definitely a sour taste for sure, but I don't think one game necessarily tells the whole story. And this season is a marathon, not a sprint.”<doc-sep>
Photo : Gregory Bull ( AP ) Rookie pitcher Chris Paddack has the misfortune of playing West C oast baseball for the routinely overlooked San Diego Padres. Such conditions can make it difficult for a young player to get noticed on the national level, but Paddack doesn’t seem like the type to let circumstance stand in his way. Before he started against the Mets in San Diego last night, Paddack went out of his way to call out Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who had just been awarded NL Rookie of the Month honors. Paddack, who finished April with a 1.91 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 33 innings, felt like he deserved the award and had been snubbed. We know this because he came right out and said so, and promised to take his frustration out on Alonso. From the New York Daily News: “He’s a great player, no doubt,” Paddack said of Alonso. “Does he deserve (the Rookie of the Month honor)? Absolutely. But I’m coming for him. We’ll see Monday who the top dog is. That’s something I’m looking forward to, for sure. “And I’m not saying that in a cocky way. I’m saying that because I know what I want, just like I’m sure he knows what he wants. It’ll be a fun little matchup.” Paddack did indeed come for Alonso, as well as the rest of the Mets’ lineup. He shut out the Mets over 7.2 innings, allowing just four hits while striking out 11. He was as locked in and as red-assed as a pitcher can possibly be: Alonso counted for two of Paddack’s strikeouts, and I think it’s fair to say that Paddack was pumped, and possibly even a little jacked, to have taken down his self-selected rival: Alonso was asked about the pair of strikeouts and Paddack’s comments, and he handled the situation about as well as anyone who has just been publicly owned can be expected to: This is good stuff. Baseball is currently replete with fascinating and talented young players, but the league itself has never been all that great at helping those players get all the attention they deserve. What Paddack showed is that sometimes the best thing to do is take matters into your own hands. You want to be a star in this league? Get yourself an enemy, and then throw the ball extremely hard in his direction.