The Dodgers went from nursing a 1-0 lead with Braves on first and third in the top of the seventh and none out … to the bottom of the eighth and this …
“High fly into deep right field. I don’t believe it! A grand slam home run!” – Vin Scully.
“I have learned over the years that there comes a rare and precious moment when there is nothing better than silence.” – Vin #puig #dodgers
— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) June 7, 2013
“… nothing better to be absolutely speechless to sum up a situation, and that was the moment. Holy mackerel!”
If Yasiel Puig keeps this up, Vin might stick around another 20 years just to watch …
That boy is a beast!!!! #Puig
— Matt Kemp (@TheRealMattKemp) June 7, 2013
Anonymous
Puig thumbing his nose to all pitchers
Anonymous
After spring training I said that Puig deserved a chance. It took a lot of injuries but he got it and look at him now. I don’t want to say I told you so, BUT
KT
I put him on my opening day roster over at MSTI for the Brooklyn cap giveaway…thought he should have been here all along
Jon Weisman
Considering we got Vin’s D-Day speech tonight, I wonder if he has noticed that Puig’s birthday is December 7.
Anonymous
COOL, JON!!
Anonymous
A day that will live in slammy?
Jack Dawkins
Is that our first slam this season? feels that way if it isn’t.
Anonymous
yes it was – Pretty sure I heard recently that the Dodgers have the worst BA in the Majors with the bases juiced.
Anonymous
Still wondering about Kemp. Is he in the dugout with his hurt hammy, because I haven’t seen him. He’s always been such a cheerleader down there.
Anonymous
I believe he went to the Dodger complex in Arizona.
KT
true statement
Anonymous
Thanks! I’m sorry he’s missing this, but glad he’s getting better.
Anonymous
If Kemp comes back with a healthier shoulder and swing, the Dodgers are going to look very different than what we’ve seen this year.
Anonymous
Agree, but realistically, how much shoulder healing can happen in 2 weeks?
Anonymous
I’m hoping the mental break and reset will equate to healthier, more productive at-bats. The shoulder, on the other hand, I anticipate will be 15 days stronger.
Anonymous
I mean dugout!
Anonymous
Win or lose, IMHO…. It’s so nice to see some young blood out there for the Blue…
….
Fed-Ex, Van Slyke, Puig…..
….
This is a prime example of how ‘depth’ can play such an important role in an organization …
Fed-Ex pushes AJ….
Van Slyke and Puig push any of the ‘high priced, under-performing’ OF’s
This has been lacking in recent years, and they need even more of it, especially with the pitching staff…
Anonymous
Pushed them on to the DL? Now that’s one way to make it into the lineup.
Anonymous
I’m with Vinny…unbelievable!
There was Fernandomania, Piazza, Nonomania, now Puig. Like the others let’s enjoy the ride.
Anonymous
Kempomania?
Anonymous
Valid question. I guess its a matter of personal opinion. Like Jeffery said above you want to see Puig hit, just like I wanted to see Piazza hit, or Fernando pitch. I don’t have the same feeling for Kemp though others do. The only at bat I watched with earnest was his final at bat in SD 2011 to see if he could do 40-40.
Thomas Williams
Were you not paying attention last April? Every Kemp at bat in April 2012 was exciting. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=kempma01&year=2012&t=b#month::none
Anonymous
If one includes Sept/Oct of 2011 with April 2012, over 49 games he had 20 dingers, 49 RBIs and an OPS of around 1.200. Artie missed over 200 PA. ;-)
Anonymous
I didn’t miss them :). I was hugging my kids when Kemp took his last shot at 40-40. But I don’t look at stats between two different seasons. I care about the team winning in the current season.
Anonymous
Yes Puig’s slam was awesome and just as encouraging is Greinke’s performance tonight – didn’t get to see much of it but love his line for the night.
Anonymous
He was great, and didn’t even get a lot of close calls.
Anonymous
That’s good news – of all the Dodgers many injuries, when he had his collarbone broken, I had more of a sinking feeling than with the rest. I’m sure it was because of the circumstances surrounding his injury more than anything but it sure is a relief to have him back and pitching well again.
Anonymous
Just saw Matty’s tweet above. Thanks, Jon!
Anonymous
And applause for Greinke!
Jeffrey Thomas III
UN-BE-LIEVABLE! I’m just not going to leave my house anymore, unless it’s to go to Dodger Stadium. I leave a 1-0 game in the sixth only to see the Puig highlight on a screen in a bar. Puig is the definition of a guy that everybody stops to watch when he is up to bat, and I don’t want to miss any of it.
Neight Train
I love the Dodgers. I live in Montana. I sometimes get asked how I happen to be a Dodgers fan growing up in Montana. Shouldn’t I be a Mariners fans? There are a lot of reasons for me bleed blue, but maybe none more than the magic of Kurt Gibson in ’88. I was just a kid and his famous home run affected me greatly. I travel to LA every year and go to as many games as possible in a week. Always loving it even if we lose, albeit disappointed if we do. Every time, sitting in the stands, I’m waiting for that crazy magic. Tonight I wasn’t sitting in the reserve level, but it was close enough… As seen through game cast and replays.
Dodgers thoughts is the best. Thank you Jon Weisman. This is where I go for something substantial to read about our team.
Anonymous
I grew up a Dodger fan in Tacoma where, after dark, we could hear Vin’s broadcasts of Koufax, Drysdale, Wills & Co. For that reason, I disliked day games, though every once in a while the Game of the Week broadcast featured the Dodgers.
Anonymous
“If Yasiel Puig keeps this up, Vin might stick around another 20 years just to watch …”
Just one more reason to love Puig!
foul tip
Interesting tidbit from what little bit of the Braves’ telecast I saw last night…Van Slyke at the time had the best ratio of HR per number of ABs in the majors. Great start. Maybe he can keep that pace, or close. If so, he will be extremely valuable–and completely overshadowed, very likely.
Also last night recent old friend (or was that recently divorced?) Harang faced NYY for the first time while trying to extend his streak of 2 consecutive good starts. Oops. Fell apart in 6-run 3rd inning. From MLB game story–
“The Yankees had scored four or fewer runs 10 times in the previous 12 games. Then they got to feast on Harang’s fastballs, which were meaty, high and straight, as well as split-fingered pitches that didn’t dive.
“I felt like I was executing some good pitches,” said Harang, who was out after allowing six runs and throwing 56 pitches. “I think the only real mistake was the one to Cano.”
Whatever you say, big guy. But NYY hitters didn’t agree. Better luck next time out.
Anonymous
“Van Slyke at the time had the best ratio of HR per number of ABs in the majors.” I had no idea, I musta missed some of ’em – thanks for pointing that out. This changes my mind about Gwynn Jr being an option in CF rather than SVS “roaming” the OF.
And yeah, what would have been better for the Blue?
Hanging on to an injured Capuano or keeping Harang?
I vote for Cap.
Anonymous
And after his run-saving play last night, I’m even rethinking my prior poor assessment of his defensive skills.
foul tip
Not spelled out is Van Slyke’s VERY sss. But we can hope!
Anonymous
One of our outfielders has definitely been Wally Pipp-ed. Ethier, Crawford, or SVS. I’m OK with trading Ethier or even Crawford, though he can hit, health concerns are always going to hamper his actual production. SVS has very little trade value. Personally, I think the club should jump on the DH bandwagon. We could keep Crawford for that and it should help his health issues.
Anonymous
It is interesting to observe the dugout reaction for Puig’s dramatics. Of course, it is easy to be upbeat when your teammate is doing heroic feats, but the Dodgers seem genuinely excited and happy for Puig’s home runs and other dramatics. It seems as if these young man, has re-energized the Dodgers and reminded them that it is okay to have fun while playing ball.
As a Dodger fan, I can only hope the Dodgers are successful and we do not ask too much or expect too much from Yasiel.
Anonymous
It’s especially interesting, given that some of them could see their playing time reduced.
Anonymous
I was just thinking the same thing. I can imagine that Matty, for example, might be a lot more relaxed at the plate when he comes back. Everyone has looked so grim, for so long. Puig’s joy in and exuberance for the game (also, confidence) seems to be contagious. We’ll see, but for me, one of the hardest things to watch this year has been how hard so many of our front-line players have been pressing. It may take time to turn the ship, but in the meantime, watching, and hopefully playing, Dodger ball is fun again.
Anonymous
Agree 100% with entire post.
Anonymous
Sure, everyone is happy, but is anyone performing all that differently than before Puig arrived? I may be missing something, but I am just not seeing it.
Anonymous
Another valid question! Before the heroics we scored all of one run. In “the throw” game we scored two runs. I can’t remember how many we scored against Marquis but I dont think it was many. Our offense is still struggling. Puig has made it fun to watch.
KT
Only 7 more hours to go…Can’t wait
Anonymous
I LOVE MY BELOVED DODGERS!
WHO CARES IF THAT’S REDUNDANT.
Anonymous
travelling today and tomorrow, so I will miss the game!?!
Anonymous
Hanley reinjured himself hustling to score on Puig’s hit.
Anonymous
At what point are members of the training staff held liable for the frequency of preventable injuries like these?
Anonymous
I think the plan is to hold such people liable for preventable injuries when a person such as a noted doctor or scientific expert or even Mike Marshall tells the world that such injuries are preventable and also says how to prevent them unless that involves drinking human blood harvested from live humans in which case the plan is to continue to use Ben-Gay
Anonymous
Did someone push him!? The game recap had noted that Puig almost ran down Hanley. That explains that.
Anonymous
Is my assumption that this is an attempt at humor correct? Since I think it would have been funny if it were Gonzalez, I can only say that some subjects are too serious to be used as a source for humor.
Anonymous
I thought it obvious I was being facetious, but it’s true as Hendley writes that Puig was running up his back. It looked like Adam Rosales ran out his gamewinner even faster yesterday for the A’s.
Anonymous
I’m embarrassed to say that it took me too long to realize that with my only excuse, Puig had 2 hits plus I just wasn’t thinking. I actually went to other Dodger blogs to see if they agreed. My post was my attempt to deal with my unawareness; I did think my reply which was meant to be funny was funny.
In a similar episode, in the long AB by Helton I kept looking at his helmet thinking, purple! what a ridiculous color for a baseball team. then, Oh! I wonder why I never thought of that.
Anonymous
Purple is pretty ridiculous for a ball team, but I don’t think they had much choice. They had to match the color of the dinosaur
Anonymous
I meant that explains why he was running slowly. No idesa how he got hurt.
KT
Lineup tonight
Puig RF
Ellis 2B
Gonzalez 1B
Van Slyke LF
Hairston 3B
Ethier CF
Hernandez C
Cruz SS
Ryu P