ST. LOUIS —Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras expressed frustration after being hit by pitches twice more in a tense 3-1 loss to the Padres. Having now been plunked three times in two days—and 17 times this season, tied for second-most in MLB—Contreras made it clear he’s had enough.
“I’m tired of this,” said Contreras, who was hit on his left wrist and elbow on Saturday, a day after taking a fastball to the left hand from Nick Pivetta in a game that saw benches clear. Pivetta blamed Contreras for crowding the plate, which Contreras dismissed as laughable.
Saturday’s game escalated again when Padres star Manny Machado was hit twice, prompting another benches-clearing incident after a confrontation between Machado and Cardinals coach Jon Jay, who was ejected. Jay and Machado, former offseason training partners in Miami, exchanged words during the ninth inning.
Contreras referenced the team unity during the scuffle: “It felt good to see the whole team behind me. Emotions were high.”
Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore said the heat and poor command contributed to some of the inside pitches. He also noted that many pitchers lack the control to throw effectively inside to a hitter like Contreras.
Teammate Jordan Walker added that Contreras’ dominance at the plate may be frustrating opposing pitchers: “He’s crushing everything. They don’t know what to do.”
Contreras’ concern is valid: He’s dealt with serious injuries from being hit before—including a broken finger and a swollen hand last year. Despite the tension, he’s still playing mind games with opponents. On Friday, he got into Pivetta’s head, scoring the game-winning run and claiming mental victory: “If you’re going to talk, don’t expect me to stay quiet.”