LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers have a message for the St. Louis Cardinals, who were offended Monday night over the exuberant celebrations by Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. They don't plan to stop. Manager Don Mattingly came to the defense of his players after Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright said Gonzalez was "doing some Mickey Mouse stuff" and right fielder Carlos Beltran chastised Yasiel Puig, suggesting the Dodgers rookie needs to act "a little bit more calm." Mattingly compared their celebrations to St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina, who pumped his fist after pitcher Michael Wacha struck out Juan Uribe to escape a bases-loaded jam in Game 2. Wacha did the same as he came off the mound. "I also had zero problems the other day when they got out of the bases‑loaded jam and Yadier pumps his fist when he gets out of a jam," Mattingly said. "To me, that's just baseball. Guys get excited." Gonzalez, who clapped his hands and gestured toward the dugout following his fourth-inning double that ended a 22-inning scoreless stretch for the Dodgers, laughed off Wainwright's comment. "Mickey Mouse is only an hour away," he said. "So you know, it fits us. I did what I always do." Puig has been criticized occasionally this season for his tendency to celebrate a big hit, something the Dodgers have addressed. But they don't want to dampen his youthful enthusiasm, which his teammates have picked up on. In Monday's 3-0 win, Puig delivered an RBI triple in the fourth, but not before thinking he had hit a home run. He flipped his bat and raised his arms in excitement, only to have to sprint to third base when the ball glanced off the right-field fence. Even before he reached the bag, he clapped his hands. "The bat thing, really, it's more our problem than theirs because if he stands there and doesn't run, it goes from a triple to a double," Mattingly said. "It helps them and hurts us. So that's more of our issue having to get him to go right away. You would think they would be excited that he doesn't run from that standpoint because it helps them or has a chance to help them."
