Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers‘ magic number was reduced to one behind Zack Greinke‘s eight stellar innings of two-run ball in which he struck out five, limited the Giants to six hits, and walked none. Greinke didn’t face a batter with a runner in scoring position all game, helping to limit opportunities for a comeback.
Offensively, the Dodgers got to Madison Bumgarner early in the game, with Justin Turner continuing his miraculous year with a lead-off homer, followed by Yasiel Puig getting plunked (more on that soon), and then Matt Kemp homering for a 3-0 lead on the Giants ace.
But after giving up those two first-inning homers, Bumgarner settled down. The Dodgers hit the ball hard a few times, sure, but he otherwise generally settled into dominance over the remaining frames. He also brought the Giants back into it with his bat, providing the only offense after slugging his fourth homer on the season and cutting the lead to one.
Turner, however, doubled the lead in the eighth inning, homering again off Bumgarner and knocking him out of the game for good.
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The explosive news at the start of the game was Yasiel Puig getting hit in the leg after a Justin Turner homer, which led to tempers flaring and a bunch of yelling. Much of the blame by the ESPN broadcast was put on Puig despite the fact that the only reason anything happened in the first place was that it was Puig.
Puig was hit for the second time in as many games, and while it obviously wasn’t intentional and I don’t think he thought it was intentional, he looked back at Bumgarner after being knocked down to the ground. Bumgarner walked towards him and then clearly started asking him (via ESPN telecast) what the fuck he was looking at.
I understand Bumgarner doesn’t like Puig and all that, but that’s a ridiculous reaction to a batter looking at the pitcher after being hit, since it’s something that happens all the time. Like I said, if Juan Uribe or Adrian Gonzalez doing that, nobody cares and Bumgarner doesn’t say a word.
As for what followed, Puig could’ve reacted calmer, but then I’m not sure how one’s supposed to react after one gets hit and then the person who threw the ball starts swearing at you.
Oh well, I’m sure people will question why Bumgarner is always mad, or why it’s okay he stares down A-Gon or stares down Puig, and they wouldn’t ever just immediately default to saying Puig was being an uncontrolled beast.
#Justice
Yasiel Puig said thru translator he wasn't sure if tonight's feud w/ Bumgarner was continuation from May: "I just reacted to what he said."
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) September 24, 2014
Oh. Shocking.
Just to recap, Puig’s a monster but Bumgarner basically called him an idiot after he hit a homer last year, he was the one who marched down to the third base line to yell at him earlier this year, and he’s the one who yelled at him after hitting him today.
What a piece of shit Puig is.
K.
“I probably said something first. He’s sitting there staring at me. I don’t know how to say this without getting myself in trouble but — I don’t know.”
lol
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Josh Beckett left hanging for the required GIF.
