Game 2 of the 2017 World Series was absolutely insane.
After both teams were held to just three runs in the first nine innings of play, the Astros and Dodgers exploded for a combined seven runs in the 10th and 11th thanks to a postseason record-setting five extra-inning home runs.
You can read more about the crazy finish here.
But instead of recapping the game/ending itself, I wanted to take a beat and talk about the troll-job bat flip and troll-job non-bat-flip on two of those homers, because Carlos Correa and Yasiel Puig were clearly having some fun with each other and I can’t get enough of it.
First, Correa.
After Altuve took the lead with a solo homer to lead off the 10th, Astros shortstop Carlos Correa took Josh Fields deep to left to put Houston up two late. Here’s a look at his homer:
Carlos Correa’s MOONSHOT! Astros up 5-3! #HOUvsLAD pic.twitter.com/TGvDBj8OHs
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) October 26, 2017
Statcast clocked that homer at 103.5 MPH and measured a distance of 427 feet – so that was no cheapy … and Correa didn’t act like it was:
Carlos Correa’s bat flip 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/FmHuepUqmp
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) October 26, 2017
That’s one massive bat flip.
But it’s not the only thing Correa did to pump up his teammates and throw a little shade. From another angle, we can see that Correa stuck out his tongue in classic-Puig fashion, which damn, that’s hilarious:
When I see an incredibly tasty looking popsicle. pic.twitter.com/3ECzjLhkKD
— Baseball is Fun (@flippingbats) October 26, 2017
But here’s the thing, the game wasn’t over yet.
Despite digging themselves into a two-run deficit, the Dodgers went right back after it in the bottom of the 10th inning starting with, you guessed it, a Yasiel Puig blast to left-center field:
Yasiel Puig – nice to bats but very mean to balls #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/FJ9rWgLNSm
— Balk City (@CityBalk) October 26, 2017
Statcast measured that one at 425 feet and 109 MPH off the bat, which, like Correa’s dinger, means it was basically a no-doubter.
But instead of doing is patented bat flip after a huge home run, Puig decided to change things up … by ever-so-gently placing his bat on the ground and circling the bases quietly:
https://twitter.com/BaseballBros/status/923401718561374208
https://twitter.com/SBNation/status/923397590959390721
If you know anything about Puig, you know this is an absolutely hilarious return-troll-job directed at Correa and the Astros who just emulated his typical (but excellent) over-excitement.
Ultimately, the Astros held onto win after scoring another two runs in the top of the 11th inning (although the Dodgers did answer back with one more homer in the bottom half), and the series is tied 1-1 as it heads to Houston.
But the best and last thing I want to share with you about last night’s game is Puig’s comments on Correa’s massive bat flip, because this is a guy who clearly gets it:
Loved this quote from Yasiel Puig on Carlos Correa’s bat flip (via @jcrasnick): pic.twitter.com/xsMSofLFtI
— Ryan Cortes (@Ryan_Cortes) October 26, 2017
THAT is exactly the right attitude to have and I love to see him continue to be the light-hearted, fun-having player baseball needs.
Turner Ward and Yasiel Puig are relationship goals pic.twitter.com/rk81wvJrk3
— brit. (@brwalle) October 20, 2017