Willson Contreras Sparks Tensions During Historic Game Against Brewers
Saturday’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers featured both history and heated moments, largely centered around Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras.
In a memorable ninth inning, Contreras and his brother, Brewers catcher William Contreras, each hit home runs — becoming only the second pair of opposing brothers in modern MLB history to homer in the same inning. The last to do so were Rick and Wes Ferrell in 1933.
However, earlier in the game, things took a tense turn. In the third inning, a routine groundout turned controversial when Milwaukee’s Caleb Durbin collided with Willson Contreras at first base. Contreras, after catching a throw from Nolan Arenado, stepped back into the basepath, resulting in the contact. This drew angry reactions from the Brewers’ dugout, especially from veteran Rhys Hoskins, who exchanged words with Contreras.
No physical altercation followed, but the tension carried over. In the next inning, Hoskins was hit by a pitch, and Contreras was plunked in the fifth. After getting hit, Contreras lightheartedly retrieved the ball and handed it back to Brewers pitcher José Quintana.
Postgame, Contreras didn’t hold back when discussing the incident. Referring indirectly to Hoskins, he said:
“One of their players liked to talk from far away, but when he got in my face, he didn’t say anything. I was expecting more. He tries to act tough — he’s a [expletive]. I won’t name names. He knows who he is.”
Hoskins, for his part, dismissed the situation, claiming their mid-game exchange was simply about playing first base and denying that the hit-by-pitch was intentional.
Contreras is in his first full season at first base after nine seasons as a catcher with the Cardinals and Cubs. While his defense has generally been strong according to advanced metrics, his offensive numbers have dipped slightly. After Saturday’s game, he’s batting .255 with a .762 OPS — his lowest since 2018.
Hoskins, now in his second year with Milwaukee after seven seasons in Philadelphia, is hitting .244 with 10 home runs and a .754 OPS over 257 plate appearances.
