Dodgers 8, Giants 1: Yasiel Puig fails to hit a home run yet again. Is he a bust?

The Dodgers tripled their way to glory in an 8-1 win in the first game of a key three-game series against the rival Giants. Yasiel Puig starred, smacking three triples and a double en route to a 4-for-5 day in his first start in center field in 2014. Puig is only the second Dodger ever to hit three triples in a game, the other being Jimmy Sheckard … back in 1901. In short, Puig had a decent night.

Bat flips, yo.

Also of note, Puig may have learned how to slide.

Puig wasn’t alone either. Matt Kemp and Dee Gordon also tripled, giving the team five triples on the night, which were the most since 1921. Kemp and Dee both finished with three hits, and Gordon also got himself a stolen base. Overall, the Dodgers finished with 15 hits and two walks, including six of the extra-base variety.

Of course, there’s also the matter of the pitching, which was excellent until professional dumpster fire Paul Maholm entered. Zack Greinke started the game and pitched brilliantly. In seven innings of work, he surrendered no runs on four hits and he struck out 10 while walking just one. Chris Perez followed with a perfect inning in relief, but the aforementioned Maholm then entered and gave up a run on three hits and a walk. Maholm ended the game with a bases loaded fly out, but not before sending Brandon League and Kenley Jansen to the bullpen mound because there was legitimate fear he couldn’t finish an 8-0 lead.

I know that’s worth a roster spot.

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-Puig only had three balls hit to him while in center, a routine fly ball that he handled easily, a fly ball to end the game, and this nice play on a ball hit hard by Buster Posey.

There was one other ball that was hit near him, but Puig got a bit of a late break on it and Carl Crawford cut across from left to make the play.

–Adrian Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a walk and is now 7-for-14 in his last four games. After seeing his OPS plummet to .735, this mini-run has him up to .763.

-Lost in the madness of triples was Hanley Ramirez‘s return at shortstop, and he went 2-for-5 on the day.