The San Diego Padres' season ended in disappointing fashion following the team's 3-1 National League Wild Card loss to the Chicago Cubs. Yet, third baseman Manny Machado stole headlines due to a tension-filled interaction with reporters after the game.

Machado, never one to bite his tongue, took exception to being asked, “How do you assess a season like this?” The veteran All-Star quickly retorted, “What type of question is that, dude, my guy?… We just lost,” before ending the interview abruptly.

Machado's response caught the ire of the media, including Jim Rome, who lambasted the Padres' slugger and questioned the validity of his annoyance.

“How could you be surprised by that question or so angered by that question?” Rome asked on The Jim Rome Show.

Rome then defended the timing of the reporter's question.

“If now is not the time to ask the question, ‘How would you assess how the season ended?’ When is the appropriate time?” Rome asked. “Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Spring Training?”

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Rome continued by offering Machado an alternative line of questions, instead focusing on his poor postseason numbers.

“Would you rather get grilled about why your career postseason batting average is .209?” Rome asked. “Would that have been better? Or, why did you hit below .200 in each of the last two postseasons? Should he have asked that question? Would that have been better, Manny? What if he sprung that one on you?” Rome continued, “If you reacted the way you did to that softball question, what would you have done if he dropped that on you, because as a San Diego Padre in the postseason, Machado is a .205 hitter, with an OPS of .707. And yet, he’s upset he got the most benign end of the season, softball question ever.”

Manny Machado's lack of consistency haunted the Padres throughout the Wild Card round. In 12 at-bats, Machado totaled one hit and two RBIs en route to a .100/.250/.400 slash line in the three-game series loss.