Puig-mania is in full swing in the world of Major League Baseball, as rookie outfielder Yasiel Puig has willed the Los Angeles Dodgers to a point in their season in which they have a chance to contend for a playoff spot. In tennis, however, 19-year-old Puerto Rican Monica Puig pulled off an upset of world No. 5 Sara Errani that was overshadowed by Rafa Nadal's stunning defeat.
Puig blasted past Errani, who reached the semifinals of the French Open in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, marking the first upset of Wimbledon in 2013. Errani's fall marked just the third time a top-five women's player was bounced so early in the tournament since 2001.
As if Puig's upset wasn't impressive enough, Wimbledon is her first ever grass-court tournament as a professional. She will face off against Silvia Soler-Espinosa tomorrow in the second round.
Her Dodgers namesake, who is not related in any way to Monica, blasted his seventh home run of the season last night in a victory over Los Angeles' in-state rivals, the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
The 22-year-old has electrified Los Angeles, crushing baseballs at a .442 clip in his first 20 games, calling to mind the scintillating rookie season of Mike Trout, who plays for the Los Angeles Angels.
In addition to his .442 average, Yasiel has slugged seven home runs, knocked in 14 runs, scored 14 runs and swiped two bases without getting caught. On top of all that, he has already become one of the most exciting players in all of baseball defensively, showcasing a cannon-like arm on a routine basis.
Dodgers catcher summed up the impact Puig has had after the 3-1 win Monday night when he said, "Yasiel is a phenomenal talent right now. The league's trying to figure him out and they're trying to see what the best way to approach him is. But he's making them go back and scratch their heads a lot, because he's hitting everything and hitting it hard. I'm just really happy he's on our side. The way he plays the game is just infectious, and the energy he brings to our lineup is something that was sorely missed.
If Monica Puig wins again, the tennis world may be saying the same things.
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