Dodgers: Never forget Joe Musgrove’s NSFW message to LA during Astros’ 2017 World Series run

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 09: Joe Musgrove #44 of the San Diego Padres after pitching a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 09, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. This was the Padres first no-hitter in franchise history. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 09: Joe Musgrove #44 of the San Diego Padres after pitching a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 09, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. This was the Padres first no-hitter in franchise history. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the reigning World Series champions.

What the San Diego Padres don’t understand is that a few flashy offseason moves don’t thrust you to the top of MLB.

Unfortunately for Dodgers fans, however, the Pads are doing their best to officially insert themselves into the contender conversation and made an early-season statement on Friday night.

Offseason trade acquisition Joe Musgrove, who the team acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates, tossed a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers, giving San Diego even more of a reason to celebrate and further delude their championship aspirations.

And while we’re on that subject, we can’t forget about the message Musgrove sent to the Dodgers during the Houston Astros’ 2017 World Series run when he was with the team … before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He’s bringing THIS kind of energy to the rivalry, which should be fine with the Dodgers, who have made easy work of the Padres for what feels like … forever?

https://twitter.com/TatisMVP/status/1380720381200228355?s=20

Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove blasted the Dodgers during the Astros’ 2017 World Series run.

Yeah, we’d say f— the Dodgers too if we had a career 5.40 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in three starts against Los Angeles. Can’t blame him, we guess. April 16 truly can’t come soon enough.

We won’t entirely be grumps, though. Musgrove was riding high for good reason. He tossed the first no-hitter in Padres franchise history after growing up in San Diego as a Pads fan. He’s got every reason to hate the Dodgers.

But remembering this specific message he sent them after the Astros *cheated* to win the 2017 World Series against the Dodgers should certainly make fans and players even more mad.

Padres fans shouldn’t forget that this is a 162-game marathon, which the Dodgers are used to dominating from wire-to-wire. It’s not a 60-game sprint and expanded playoff field like it was in 2020, which is when the Pads rode Fernando Tatis Jr.’s hot bat and managed to sneak into the postseason for the first time since … 2006.

It won’t be nearly as easy to do the same in 2021, and when you have a history of calling out the kings, it’s not going to make it any easier.

*This article has been edited to correct the fact that this video of Musgrove came during the Astros’ 2017 World Series run, not after his no-hitter on Friday night.*

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