Soto assigned dugout push-ups after flying out to warning track twice
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The Dominican Republic team has been a slugging juggernaut so far this World Baseball Classic, with a tournament-high nine home runs. Juan Soto has one of those, a run rule game-ender, and during Monday's breezy 10-1 victory over Israel he made a bid for two more. Both of them came up short, falling into the glove of the center fielder on the warning track.
How did his teammates respond? After the second time in the ninth inning, as Soto returned to the dugout with a wry smile on his face, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was waiting for him, pointing at the ground. It was time for some pushups.
Soto dropped down and gave them, well, a couple. His teammates counted them out as he went and it looked like he got to around 10 before calling it quits. Fernando Tatis Jr., who had hit a grand slam earlier in the game and was showing off his own muscles in the dugout, made sure to applaud Soto's quick workout.
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"Doesn't matter how much you get paid," FS1 play-by-play man Paul Severino said. "Still some good-natured ribbing in that dugout."
The unbeaten stars from Team Dominican Republic have a lot more baseball to play, with their win against Israel securing their spot in the quarterfinals. That means plenty more chances for Soto to prove that the pushups worked their magic.