SAN DIEGO -- Padres second baseman Ian Kinsler answered all the questions from the media before Friday's game with the Pirates. But only after a long talk with someone in his family.

"When you get a call from your 10-year-old daughter asking you what happened and why you did that, you got to explain it, it's difficult,'' Kinsler said. "But at the same time that's the way I play the game and I'm not going to bury my emotions or my passion.''

Kinsler raised eyebrows with two obscene gestures and coarse language when reaching home plate after hitting a three-run homer to help San Diego beat Pittsburgh, 4-3, on Thursday night.

Mired in a slump for most of his short stint with the Padres, many thought Kinsler was directing his disgust at his detractors. But the veteran Kinsler, who was signed to a two-year deal in the offseason for, in part, his clubhouse leadership, said his actions were pointed at his colleagues in uniform.

"It was in the moment and I was trying to fire up my teammates and keep them going,'' Kinsler said. "After thinking about it for a day it's not how I want to act on the field.''

Kinsler batted in the leadoff spot on Friday after batting away a suggestion that he would be reprimanded for his shenanigans.

Manager Andy Green wasn't so quick to clear Kinsler.

"I think in all cases what we've done from a discipline perspective throughout the years that I've been here, and in most ballparks, that's not something we're going to share with you guys at any point in time, it's just not a story for public consumption,'' Green said. "We'll continue to talk to all our players in different moments in time and that stuff we'll keep to ourselves.''

Kinsler kept true to his story about his outburst not being a shot at Padres fans who have watched him scuffle. Green took Kinsler, who entered Friday's game hitting .175, at his word but then added a few more when contemplating Kinsler's outburst.

"The appearance is not the appearance that we want in this Padres organization,'' Green said. "That look is not what we want on the field. He had the opportunity to apologize today and to recognize how that could be perceived and was perceived by a lot of people.''

Added Kinsler: "I regret using the profanity out in front of everybody like that. I've been struggling and to get a big hit like that was an emotional jolt.''