Yasiel Puig Wags Finger After Amazing Throw Neutralized by MLB Review

The Los Angeles Dodgers stormed out of the gates at Comerica Park on Tuesday night, bum-rushing the Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander for five runs in the first inning.

Everything seemed to be going in the Dodgers’ favor until a reversed call in the bottom of the second sparked a 90 degree shift in momentum.

It all began when Yasiel Puig made another of his patently stunning throws. The Dodgers outfielder snagged a rebounding ball hit by Torii Hunter off the right-field wall and sent it rocketing toward second. Hunter, who had run for a double, was called out on a close tag by Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas.

While the Dodgers celebrated, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus came out to challenge the call. Thus began an interminably long review session.

Minutes ticked by and replays of the tag were shown over and again, but camera angles made it difficult to tell if Rojas managed to swipe his glove on Hunter before his foot hit the bag.

After more waiting, the call finally came in: Hunter was safe. 

Naturally, this didn’t sit well with Puig, who stalked back huffily into the outfield, at one point turning around to wag a finger.

The message was clear: You don’t do that to Puig. 

The Tigers went on to score five runs of their own in the second inning, using the overturned call as a springboard for a charge of their own. Ausmus later told the press that the review in Detroit’s favor changed everything for his team.

“That’s how replay has changed the game,” Ausmus said, per The Associated Press (h/t USA Today). “It probably changes the entire inning, really. They have one out and nobody on as opposed to a runner on second, no outs.” 

Detroit grabbed this tipping point and ran for the horizon, tallying 14 total runs and allowing the Dodgers only one hit after the review. 

It was an astounding play on Puig’s part, but something changed in the Dodgers after their young star had his cannon throw neutralized. Detroit’s bats came alive while Puig faltered to find similar magic to his second-inning sling.

He attempted another long-distance bomb in the seventh but overthrew two cut-off men and allowed Miguel Cabrera an RBI triple. 

Sometimes it’s just not your day.

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