Contreras Fires Back at Brewers: "Next Time They Hit Me, I'm Taking One of Them Out"

Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras left Fenway Park seething Monday night, and he's not holding back anymore. After getting plunked on the hand by Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, Contreras had a crystal clear message for Milwaukee: keep throwing at me, and somebody's going down.

"They always say, 'I'm not trying to hit you,'" Contreras said after the Brewers beat Boston 8-6. "That gets old. So, next time they hit me again, I'm going to take one of them out. That's a message."

A History That Goes Way Back

This isn't just some random frustration. Contreras has been hit by a pitch 131 times in his MLB career, and the Brewers account for a stunning 24 of those. That's 10 more than any other team in baseball. The guy has a real beef here.

His relationship with Woodruff is especially heated. The Brewers pitcher has nailed Contreras six times. When Monday's fastball grazed his fingers, Contreras yelled at Woodruff from first base. Then on a force play at second, he slid hard into shortstop David Hamilton, banging into his left knee with his cleats and tearing his pants in the process. He wasn't done either.

One Game, One Message, One Bat Flip

Contreras made sure everyone knew exactly where his head was at. He homered in the ninth inning and reached base five times total. And yeah, he flung the bat after the homer and again after his first-inning walk. His younger brother William was catching for Milwaukee that night, and he tried to talk some sense into Willson as he walked to first. "I tried," William said. "He plays like that."

Woodruff played it cool after the game, but the message was sent and received. "I mean, we've been through that. It's been like nine years for me. It seems like every year," Woodruff said. "He's trying to play a game and he's trying to get his side fired up, which is fine. Once I knew what was going on, I wasn't going to let it affect me."

Christian Yelich summed it up for the Brewers' side: "I mean, we've seen that skit for the last 10 years. It's nothing new."

Before joining the Red Sox this offseason, Contreras spent his first 10 big league seasons in the NL Central, going up against Milwaukee constantly with the Cubs and Cardinals. So yeah, there's real history here. And Contreras isn't backing down.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.