When Yasiel Puig appeared as a pinch-hitter on Wednesday, he tied a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record with 51 career postseason games played in. It’s a mark that was initially set by the now-retired Andre Ethier.
“That means a lot,” Puig said of the accomplishment. “That makes me happy. I want to keep doing my job and doing the best I can for my teammates.”
The Dodgers are 28-23 in postseason games Puig has appeared in, and 23-16 in his starts.
Puig went 2-for-2 with a double and RBI single to help the Dodgers notch a Game 5 win in the National League Championship Series. One more victory over the Milwaukee Brewers and they will return to the World Series for a second consecutive year.
Puig has appeared in all nine of the Dodgers’ postseason games this year, making six starts. He’s 7-for-22 (.318 batting average) with two doubles, one RBI, five walks and eight strikeouts.
That he would be who tied the Los Angeles franchise mark set by Ethier is not something many would have predicted. After being demoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2016, there was a widely held expectation Puig’s time with the Dodgers organization was coming to a close.
But he demonstrated growth on and off the field, which led to improved production and regularly playing time. Puig will overtake Ethier’s record should he play Friday in Game 6, which the 27-year-old essentially deemed a must-win.
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