Already riding a season-high five-game winning streak that included come-from-behind and walk-off victories, the Los Angeles Dodgers upped the ante on Wednesday night in the series finale against the Washington Nationals.
With one out and the Dodgers trailing, 2-1, Howie Kendrick slapped a pinch-hit single into right field. Madness ensued two pitches later when Yasiel Puig followed with a base hit that got by a diving Danny Espinosa at shortstop.
Michael A. Taylor came charging in from center field, only to overrun the ball. Kendrick easily scored, and not too far behind him was a humming Puig to give the Dodgers yet another walk-off victory.
Puig flew head-first into home plate, scoring without a throw ever being relayed in from Daniel Murphy. Although there wasn’t so much an effort made to throw Puig out, Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos thought a play at the plate was possible, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post:
Ramos said later he thought there was a good possibility there was a play, though he saw Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward hold up the stop sign — and Puig running through it with his head down.
Puig’s hit offset a booming solo home run Ramos clubbed off Pedro Baez in the eighth inning that gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead.
Puig joked after the game his legs made the decision for him to spring around the bases and his bellyflop into home was because his hamstring(s) could no longer support him.
The Dodgers, who have an off-day Thursday, now find themselves 5.5 games back of the first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West. Los Angeles begins their seven-game road trip in Pittsburgh on Friday.
