The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants meet Friday night for the first of three remaining regular-season games. Los Angeles has already clinched the National League West, while San Francisco is vying to remain part of the Wild Card picture.
Madison Bumgarner is slated to take the mound in the series opener, which comes with plenty of intrigue given his last time facing the Dodgers. Bumgarner and Yasiel Puig exchanged words on Sept. 19 and it led to both benches and bullpens clearing onto the field.
Puig is expected to be in Friday’s lineup, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he isn’t anticipating any carry over from the dust-up. Naturally, Bumgarner and Puig had a difference of opinion on their scuffle.
General consensus has chalked it up to Bumgarner overreacting and losing control of the fire he plays with. For Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, the shoving match between the two players served as a reminder of what Roy Campanella once said.
“That’s the second time, it wasn’t the only time we have video tape of Bumgarner saying twice to Puig, ‘Don’t look at me.’ You know Roy Campanella summed it up, bless his heart,” Scully began to recall during his press conference.
“Campy said, ‘You have to be a man, but you have to have a lot of little boy in you.’ So when you hear a grownup saying, ‘Don’t look at me,’ there’s the little boy. It’s just part of growing up for all of us.”
After hitting Puig with a pitch in September 2014, Bumgarner told Puig not to look at him as the outfielder sat on the ground with his head turned toward the mound. That was the second time the two exchanged words, but first instance in which benches cleared.
Earlier in the 2014 season, Bumgarner took exception with Puig’s bat toss after a home run and yelled in his direction as Puig crossed home plate. If there are to be any fireworks over the final weekend of the regular season, Scully will be on the call at AT&T Park as he concludes his illustrious 67-year career.
