The downside of field microphones is that players don’t always watch their language. This caused a controversy Thursday night when Ian Kinsler hit a walk-off home run, flipped his bat, then appeared to chide fans who had been on his case about a poor season:

Whatever lip-reading was required for Kinsler’s on-field exultations, it seemed clearly audible on the television broadcast what he said after exchanging high-fives with teammates.

“(Expletive) every single one of these (expletives),” Kinsler said as he went to deposit his helmet in its spot at the end of the dugout.

While manager Andy Green had earlier indicated Kinsler’s display was a release of frustration and a response to having been criticized, Kinsler maintained he was unaware of any vitriol directed at him.

“That was for my teammates,” he said. “It had nothing to do with the fans. It’s an inside thing with them. I was trying to get everyone fired up. We had a tough road trip. I’m a passionate player. I tried to get my teammates going. That was it.”

SanDiegoUnionTribune.com

Kinsler owns a .175/.233/.342 slash line. His last good season at the plate was in 2016. At seasonal age 37, he’s unlikely to return to any kind of star status.

What he is doing well in hitting for power, with 10 of his 21 hits going for extra bases. When he times it right, like on Thursday night, it helps the team a great deal. The Padres beat the Pirates 4-3.