Danny Espinosa may have challenged Jayson Werth to a duel after his grand slam
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The dugout celebration is a time-honored tenet of a baseball game. From hugs to dances to meticulously practiced handshake routines, players may enjoy the post-moment celebration more than the actual on-field feat itself.
Danny Espinosa connected on a third-inning grand slam that helped set the tone for Washington's 13-4 win over the Reds on Thursday:
Upon returning to the dugout, he and Jayson Werth expressed their enthusiasm to each other by ... slapping each other in the face:
Espinosa later cracked a three-run homer to give him seven RBIs on the night, becoming the first player in Nationals history to hit homers from both sides of the plate in the same game in the process.
Even though his dugout moment with Werth arose out of jubilation, glove slaps are serious business. In some circles, they are a method by which one individual challenges the other to a duel. On other occasions, the euphoric release that sometimes comes with a glove slap can lead one down a dark path of excess:
Alas, Werth and Espinosa won't likely be having any no-holds-barred throwdowns anytime soon, since this slapfest is apparently their specific choice of celebration:
These two will probably keep this up for a while now, given what's already transpired. A word of warning, though, if you're out there and want to start slapping folks as a celebratory practice: Just make sure you're both on the same page ...