Yasiel Puig gets hit by pitches in back to back at-bats, a breakdown

Sep 12, 2019 1.8M views 2:08

What Happened

In a September 2019 game between the Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Angels, Yasiel Puig got plunked by a young Angels pitcher in back to back plate appearances. The first hit nailed Puig in the backside on an inside pitch after he'd been fed off-speed stuff early in the count. An inning or so later the pitcher hit Carlos Santana in the foot, then drilled Puig again the next time he came up. Puig, never one to hide his feelings, glared and jawed but didn't charge the mound, and both bullpens ended up chatting instead of brawling. Cleveland made the pitcher pay anyway, scoring multiple runs in the inning.

Why This Matters

Hitting the same batter twice in one game is the kind of thing that empties benches, and Puig had every reason to read intent into it. The pattern was telling though: soft stuff away to get ahead, then a heater that kept leaking inside. That reads less like a vendetta and more like a rookie who couldn't command his fastball, which is exactly how Puig seemed to take it. He stared, he barked, but he never bit. The real punishment came on the scoreboard. The pitcher walked in a run and then surrendered three more as Cleveland hit around, turning his wildness into a loss. For Puig, traded to Cleveland at the 2019 deadline, it was another chapter in a career built on theater. He restrained himself here, which is its own kind of story.

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Key Moments

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Yasiel Puig. Teams: Brewers.

Key Terms Mentioned

Full Transcript

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here we go it's another Yasiel Puig

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apparel oh one gets them on the

change-up then hits them on the tuckus

behind his back tweek doesn't like it