Joc Pederson borrows Kirk Cousins' catchphrase after World Series homer

Mark Townsend
·Yahoo Sports Contributor

The Los Angeles Dodgers evened up the World Series on Saturday night, defeating the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 4 behind clutch hits from Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson. The Dodgers duo combined for three hits over the final three innings — a Pederson three-run homer and a pair of Bellinger doubles — and they also mixed in a couple fun celebrations.

For Bellinger, the first double marked the end of an 0-for-13 start to the World Series. He celebrated by exhaling, clapping his hands and jokingly asking for the ball.

As for Pederson’s celebration, well, let’s just say we’ve seen and heard this before.

Almost two years to the day that Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins blew up the Internet with his “You like that?” celebration, Pederson brought it back on baseball’s biggest stage.

Yes, we absolutely do like that. Thanks for asking.

Many have tried to emulate Cousins’ catchphrase since then. Few have pulled it off like Pederson.

It certainly helps that Pederson was in the moment, rather than trying to manufacture the emotion and passion necessary to give it the full impact. After smashing a three-run homer to extend the Dodgers’ lead in the ninth inning, Pederson was in that riding high frame of mind.

It’s also possible he was so pumped up he didn’t realize what he was yelling. We wouldn’t be surprised if that were true based on the emotional screams heard during this series. Some of which FOX Sports probably wishes weren’t caught on a hot mic.

That’s how it goes, though. Baseball is often fueled by those emotions. Especially now, when every play can tip the scales and potentially decide a season.

When you consider where Pederson was less than two months ago, it’s even more fuel for his fire. Pederson was demoted to the minor leagues in late August and wasn’t promised a recall this season, let alone a spot on the postseason roster. He finished the season hitting just .212. And let’s also remember the Dodgers brought in Curtis Granderson as a potential replacement.

Joc Pederson was so pumped about his World Series homer that he broke out Kirk Cousins' catchphrase. (AP)
Joc Pederson was so pumped about his World Series homer that he broke out Kirk Cousins’ catchphrase. (AP)

Pederson wasn’t used in the NLDS and logged just five at-bats in the NLCS. If not for Granderson’s own struggles, it’s possible Pederson wouldn’t be playing right now. But he is, and manager Dave Roberts has shown great faith by starting him in three straight games. The result has been three hits in nine at-bats, with two of those leaving the ballpark.

If you told Roberts those results ahead of time, he definitely would have liked them.

Dodgers fans are liking it, too. Now that they feel like Pederson and Bellinger are coming around. And now that they know Clayton Kershaw is pitching in Game 5 with a chance to retake the series lead, there’s an awful lot to be excited about.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!