Yasiel Puig Homered, Crotch-Chopped, And Enjoyed Himself In Game 7

With his go-ahead two-run homer in Game 7, Cody Bellinger was a deserving NLCS MVP, but Yasiel Puig ribbed him for a perceived snub.

Puig’s dinger in the 5-1 win was much funnier, though that likely doesn’t factor into voting consideration. The Dodgers held a 2-1 lead over the Brewers in the sixth inning Saturday night, when Puig added insurance with a three-run swat out of the park. The outfielder included a little bat flip and some crotch chops as he rounded the bases during Los Angeles’s 5-1 victory.

The crotch chop was not a one-time thing:

Puig went 3-for-4 as the Dodgers took the pennant, and although he didn’t start every game in the series, he enjoyed himself and played loose. Sure, his looseness might not be as well-received in a scenario with such a thin margin of error as the postseason, and it resulted in a Travis Shaw double (which didn’t turn into a run) or a clumsy slide into third base, but the three-run dong helped make those mistakes forgettable.

In Game 5, Puig had a similar moment of joy in a critical situation. With two runners on in the sixth, he came on to pinch-hit, licked his bat, and slapped a single to center to add on a run. As he ran to first, he raised his arms as if to say, See? I did that!

The Dodgers were a juggernaut last season but couldn’t finish the job against the Astros, and it would’ve been seen as a failure if they didn’t return this year. They’ll have to keep up with the Red Sox’s offense and try to pick on their bullpen. Puig, who at the beginning of October called the Dodgers’ repeat pennant, will be helpful in that respect: