Ohhh boy, buckle up, folks, because things are getting spicy in the NL Central — and at the center of the firestorm? None other than the Cardinals’ firebrand himself, Willson Contreras in multiple games between the the Cardinals and Brewers.
So here’s what went down: it’s St. Louis vs. Milwaukie, mid-June showdown, and things got real in Game 2 of the series on June 14. Bottom of the third inning, routine grounder to third. Nolan Arenado scoops and fires to first — and WHAM — a little unplanned collision between Contreras and Brewers rookie Caleb Durbin. No punches, just a jolt of adrenaline, but hey, it’s baseball — and this is where the pot starts simmering.
Willson Contreras Speaks his Mind
After that bang-bang play, Contreras has a few… let’s say, “unfiltered words” for Rhys Hoskins, hanging out in the Brewers dugout. Did Rhys chirp first? Did Willson initiate? We don’t have audio — but we do have eyes, and tensions were brewing hotter than a Busch Stadium summer.
Fast forward to the fifth inning. Contreras steps up to the plate. First pitch: ball one. Second pitch? WHACK — not the bat, the body. He gets hit by Brewers pitcher Jose Quintana, and ohhhh it was not subtle. Cardinals announcer Chip Caray all but called it premeditated. But here’s where Contreras flips the script: he doesn’t charge the mound, doesn’t toss the bat. No, sir. He picks up the ball, hands it to Quintana, gives him a polite little shoulder tap, and indeed trots to first with the most savage energy you can deliver without saying a single word:
But wait, we’re not done.
Ninth inning. Solo shot. Contreras goes deep, and as he rounds first, he turns back and glares — just glares — at the Brewers dugout like a man who knows he’s living rent-free in their heads. That home run was more than a run on the board — it was a billboard reading: I own this moment.
Furthermore, after the game? Contreras didn’t hold back according to Jeff Jones on X.
No direct names dropped, but he talked, and the media? They put the pieces together real fast. Spoiler: yeah, it was about Hoskins:
Now look, Cardinals fans love this guy. He’s gritty, he’s loud, he’s all-in, all the time. Whether he’s declaring he’d “die right here” defending a bunt or calling on fans to get louder, Willson Contreras brings it. But that same fire? It burns bridges too. Cubs fans still haven’t forgiven him for jumping the fence to St. Louis — emotionally speaking — and every headline like this one just adds more fuel.
So now, heading into the series finale on June 15, you can bet the umps will be laser-focused. Contreras is gonna get booed like a villain in a Broadway show at American Family Field, and you know what? He’s gonna eat it up. Because for every fan he angers in enemy territory, there are 45,000 red-clad loyalists back home who love him even more.
Fireworks? Oh yeah. And not just the postgame kind. Keep your popcorn ready.
