LOS ANGELES — Please don’t change, Yasiel Puig.
Please don’t let the Baseball Police take away the joy you exhibit every game. Don’t let them stop you from doing what you do.
If the Cardinals don’t like it, let them answer on the field like they did Tuesday night with a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium to take a 3-1 lead in the NLCS, getting a monster two-run home run from Matt Holliday and a solo shot from Shane Robinson.
The Cardinals need to stay true to themselves, that’s the beauty of the game. There were no big celebrations from Holliday and Robinson, they hustled around the bases. That is the Cardinals’ style.
On this night, Puig tried his best, getting on base three times with a walk and two singles and driving in a run. He came to the plate in the ninth, representing the tying run with Trevor Rosenthal on the mound. Andre Ethier was on first after a leadoff single.
The crowd of 53,992 was going wild.
Rosenthal was fired up for this meeting, not only because the game was on the line, but because it was Puig.
“I think you get fired up to face him because he’s such a good player,’’ Rosenthal said. “He’s an amazing player, he’s fun to watch. He’s going to do what he does and we’re going to do what we do, and that’s all we can control.’’
Rosenthal got Puig to ground into a double play as Ethier made it easy for the Cardinals. The air went out of the ballpark. Rosenthal soon had the save. The Cardinals are in the same position as last year, leading the NLCS, 3-1.
They lost that series to the Giants, scoring one run the last three games. Not this time, they vow.
“We’re going to come out [Wednesday] and try to finish this thing off,’’ David Freese said.
Puig’s spectacular rookie season could come to an end Wednesday, but he will be having fun until the last out. He did in Game 4, even after getting buzzed in his first at-bat by Lance Lynn. On Monday night, Puig was using his camera phone to video the scene in the Dodgers clubhouse after the 3-0 victory.
Puig was relishing the moment.
Enjoy your work, do the best you can and have fun along the way. Sounds like a recipe for success.
When it comes to the game, don’t let the curmudgeons stop you from celebrating. If you can’t celebrate after blasting a rocket to the wall after going 0-for-11 with seven strikeouts, then when can you celebrate?
Yes, the Puig Party started early Monday night. Puig thought he had blasted a two-run home run and raised his arms in triumph. The ball was hit so hard it actually started to sink and once Puig realized it was staying in the park, he turned on the jets and steamed into third base with a stand-up triple.
Carlos Beltran criticized Puig, saying the Dodgers rookie doesn’t know how to act.
“He must think that he’s still playing the game somewhere else,’’ Beltran said.
In Cuba, the game is celebrated.
Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said of Puig: “You have to play the game with a little bit of individualism, a little bit of flair. It’s good for the game. It’s good for baseball. It doesn’t show up the other team in my opinion.’’
Baseball is going through a transition, it’s becoming more like the NBA and NFL with more celebrations. More Showtime.
The Cardinals took care of business Tuesday night and now can take care of the Dodgers.
“We could have panicked after [Monday] night but with the type of guys we have in this room, I knew we were going to bounce back,’’ Daniel Descalso said of the Cardinals’ calm and collected mindset.
That works for the Cardinals. Puig’s approach works for him. It’s OK to have fun. That is something to celebrate even on nights the Dodgers lose.