St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras lost his temper following his team’s defeat to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, and he has since apologized for his behavior.
The incident occurred in the bottom of the ninth inning at Busch Stadium, with the Cardinals down 3-0. Alec Burleson led off with a double, and Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia hit Contreras with a pitch, putting the tying run at the plate with no outs.
Palencia responded by striking out the next three batters to escape the inning. In his excitement, he yelled something toward Contreras, who reacted angrily. The confrontation escalated, leading to both teams’ benches clearing.
Daniel Palencia and Willson Contreras exchange words after the final out, leading to the benches clearing. pic.twitter.com/vI6BIoNZwD
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 26, 2025
Players from both teams quickly calmed down and returned to their dugouts without further incident.
Following the game, Willson Contreras expressed remorse for his outburst. He admitted that his frustration stemmed from being hit by a pitch and that he told Daniel Palencia to “throw strikes.”
“My reaction was inappropriate. I want to apologize to the Chicago Cubs for how I handled the situation. … I have no desire to fight them,” Contreras said, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Contreras, 33, spent seven seasons with the Cubs before joining the Cardinals as a free agent ahead of the 2023 season. So far this year, he’s hitting .245 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs.
Palencia also shared his thoughts on the incident after the game.
Daniel Palencia on the interaction with Willson Contreras after the game: pic.twitter.com/swDdU0oLhy
— Andy Martínez (@amartinez_11) June 26, 2025
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