After winning the first two games of their series against the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals’ offense went silent, failing to score for 22 straight innings. But they kept pushing until the final out in the series finale. Down 3-0 in the ninth, Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras was hit by a 100.5 mph fastball from Cubs closer Daniel Palencia, sparking tension between the two.
Contreras, known for his fiery demeanor, immediately shouted at Palencia, reportedly telling him to “throw strikes.” Palencia responded by striking out the next three batters to finish off a second consecutive shutout. After recording the final out, Palencia yelled back at Contreras, prompting benches to clear, though the confrontation fizzled out quickly without further incident.
At first, Contreras’ reaction seemed puzzling, as the situation wasn’t particularly high-stakes—the Cubs were already up by three. But in hindsight, the frustration made more sense. Contreras later admitted his anger stemmed from being hit, not because he believed it was intentional. Given the Cardinals’ cold bats and the sweltering St. Louis heat, tensions were already high. Contreras had gone hitless with three strikeouts in the previous two games.
Known for crowding the plate—especially with two strikes—Contreras is no stranger to getting plunked. He’s already been hit 13 times this season and 119 times in his career. After suffering a fractured forearm last year that sidelined him for half the season, he’s understandably cautious about anything that could lead to another injury.
Palencia told reporters the hit-by-pitch was unintentional and that he has great respect for Contreras, who, like him, is from Venezuela. He chalked up the heated exchange to the intensity of the moment.
After the game, Contreras called the series “even” following the split and said both teams now have time to reset before their next meeting, scheduled for July 4–6 at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals, still battling to find offensive consistency, will face the Guardians and Pirates beforehand. Left-handed pitching has been particularly tough on them this season—a concern, as the Cubs have two lefty starters lined up.
As it stands, St. Louis is in third place in the NL Central, sitting 4.5 games behind the Cubs, 1.5 behind the Brewers, and one game out of the final NL Wild Card spot. The next stretch will be crucial if they hope to stay in the playoff hunt.
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