The Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals cleared the benches after first baseman Willson Contreras and right-hander Cade Cavalli exchanged words in a matchup on Tuesday, June 30.
Cavalli appeared to tell Contreras to “sit down” after a strikeout in the fourth inning. Contreras responded with “you talking to me” and the pair approached each other. That led benches and bullpens to clear on both sides.
As Contreras approaches Cavalli, he can be seen throwing his batting helmet in the direction of the pitcher. The helmet strikes Nationals first baseman Andres Chaparro.
Contreras was ejected from the game. Outfielder Nate Eaton and right-hander Miles Mikolas were also ejected after engaging in a wrestling match on the fringes of the scrum. Red Sox manager Chad Tracy was also ejected.
Willson Contreras Ejected Again After Red Sox/Nationals Brawl
It’s the second consecutive game that Contreras has been ejected. The fiery veteran was tossed on Monday, June 29, after arguing a check swing call with the first base umpire. Contreras did the head-tap motion in the direction of the umpire, as if he was challenging an ABS call. In his first at-bat yesterday, the first baseman had an extended home run trot on a three-run dinger in the first inning. He then broke down in tears after returning to the dugout. The Venezuelan native has been outspoken about his emotions during ongoing earthquake relief efforts in his home country.
Cavalli was not ejected during the fracas. While he initiated the incident by barking at Contreras, he did turn away as he hollered at him. Cavalli only approached Contreras after the first baseman made his way toward the mound. The big righty was reserved as benches emptied, unlike Contreras, who battled his way through teammates to try to get back to Cavalli. Mikolas and Eaton engaged in quite the battle, seemingly away from the action. It’s unclear what started the incident between those players.
Contreras has a Long history of Big Reactions
Contreras has been ejected 10 times in his big-league career. He’s had a litany of heated exchanges with opponents, going back to his days with the Chicago Cubs. The veteran has feuded with opponents and umpires about everything from getting hit by a pitch to the exact words he used in an argument.
His debut campaign with the Red Sox is quickly becoming more about his confrontations than his actual play on the field, which is a shame considering his strong performance. Contreras had a career-high 148 wRC+ through 335 plate appearances heading into Tuesday’s matchup. He’s already popped 18 home runs. Contreras has maxed out at 24 homers as a big leaguer, which came in 2019 with the Cubs. Barring a major injury, he should easily set a new career-best mark this season.
The Red Sox landed Contreras in an offseason trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. Boston sent back right-handed pitching prospects Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo, and Blake Aita. Dobbins is the only player in the package to appear with the Cardinals so far. He has a 3.63 ERA in four appearances.
Willson Contreras Throws Helmet in Red Sox/Nationals Brawl