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Yasiel Puig may have called his shot before double in NLCS Game 1

mark townsend
Yahoo Sports Contributor

The opponent changed, but the Yasiel Puig postseason party raged on Saturday night.

After being the most exciting, energetic and perhaps even the best player on the field during the Dodgers NLDS sweep of the Diamondbacks, Puig kept on rolling in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, leading his squad to a 5-2 win against the Chicago Cubs.

In the process, Puig managed to silence a few critics who surfaced during the game after he unleashed a premature but ultimately harmless bat flip. He also raised a few eyebrows when he pointed to the outfield before launching a run-scoring double in the fifth inning.

Did Puig actually call his shot?

A lot of people seem to think so. Though based on his bat flip, we’re pretty sure he was calling a home run, not a double.

We’ll let you decide who or what Puig was pointing at.

Regardless, that was a big moment in the game for the Dodgers as it set up their game-tying rally. But of course, some folks couldn’t get past the fact Puig batflipped a double.

Is it terrible vision, or a slippery bat? Even Puig weighed in on that one.

Granted, Puig’s bat flips are a little less charming when the hit doesn’t actually lead to production. Sometimes his antics even wear thin on his teammates.

But he’s locked in right now. Everything he’s hitting seems to be leading to something worth celebrating.

That leads us to the seventh inning on Saturday, when Puig answered his critics in the best way possible. With one out, he launched the first postseason home run of his career against left-hander Mike Montgomery. That blast effectively closed the curtain on Game 1.

If you’re strict about players respecting the game, then Puig’s antics during the postseason may not be sitting well with you. If you’re just here to be entertained. Well, then Yasiel Puig has to be your MVP.

Dodgers slugger Yasiel Puig celebrates his home run against the Cubs during Game 1 of the NLCS. (AP)
Dodgers slugger Yasiel Puig celebrates his home run against the Cubs during Game 1 of the NLCS. (AP)

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!