Brewers-Cubs rivalry heats after HBPs, Willson Contreras' home run
Brandon Woodruff isn’t typically one to show his emotions on the field.
But when Chicago Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera’s 95-mph sinker sailed behind him and hit the backstop in the fifth inning Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers ace had seen enough.
Woodruff stepped out of the batter’s box and then a few steps forward, offering Tepera a few words you can’t say on TV before home-plate umpire Mike Estabrook put a hand on Woodruff’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.
It worked, but then Cubs' Anthony Rizzo chimed in from first base and Woodruff was having none of it, waving a finger in the air while offering a few more choice words. Cubs catcher Willson Contreras also had something to say to Woodruff in the midst of it all.
Avisaíl García was the first – and only – Brewer to emerge from the dugout while Tepera chirped from the mound.
Cooler heads prevailed, both sides were warned and Woodruff ultimately struck out to end the inning – but not without a glare from the departing Tepera.
A case of two longtime rivals already getting tired of seeing each other in the fifth of their 19 scheduled games this season?
"Credit to my parents. I was raised right," Woodruff said when asked how he was able to keep his cool, relatively speaking. "I guess I was a little hot at first. But reacting is not going to solve anything. Just go back out and pitch, get them out and let that do the talking.
"I've never been thrown at before. So, crazy. That's just part of the rivalry. I get it. Tensions get a little hot, but it is what it is."
Indeed, it was pretty clear Tepera's pitch was payback for Contreras, who was plunked by the Brewers for the third time already this season – a pitch from Woodruff that glanced off the left hand of the Chicago catcher in the fourth inning.
That hit by pitch was a blip on the screen Tuesday, but clearly neither the Cubs nor Contreras have forgotten last Monday at Wrigley Field when Contreras was hit in the helmet by a 93-mph fastball thrown by Devin Williams.
Williams, who’s still working his way back after missing a good chunk of spring training, immediately reacted in horror but fortunately Contreras was none the worse for wear as he made his way to first base and ultimately remained in the game after being checked over quickly.
Things turned heated the following night when Brad Boxberger plunked Contreras in the ninth inning of an eventual Milwaukee victory.
Contreras immediately stormed out of the box and took a couple steps toward the mound while holding up two fingers, representing the number of times he’d been hit in the series.
Boxberger, just in the game and wanting to do nothing more than finish it up, reacted in amazement as first the benches and then the bullpens emptied.
Nothing more transpired from the incident, and after the game even Brewers manager Craig Counsell and third baseman Travis Shaw said they understood Contreras’ reaction considering he’d just been plunked in the head the night before.
But it also needs to be noted that Contreras stands closer to the plate than most and it’s not unusual to see him diving into pitches at times with his armor-protected left elbow and upper arm.
Contreras was plunked 14 times in 57 games a season ago, most in the National League, and has been hit by the Brewers 12 times in 72 career games against them – twice as many as any other team.
"He gets hit a lot. I think that’s the nature of how you have to pitch him and what he covers," Counsell said. "We’re trying to go inside there and we’re kind of missing spots a little bit. He is on the plate, so there’s a little less room for error there is what I’d say.
"But we’re going to continue to pitch inside. We have to be able to do that."
Contreras did get the final laugh, belting a two-run home run off Brent Suter in the eighth inning that made the difference in a 3-2 Cubs victory, and he made sure to savor every second of it.
It was a no-doubter, and Contreras immediately turned and stared into the Chicago dugout before firing his bat in that general direction. He then embarked on a slow trot around the bases before stopping and walking the final five or so steps before stomping on home plate.
He then raised his right index finger to his lips as he made his way back to the dugout, telling the Brewers fans among the crowd of 11,025 – or, maybe the Brewers themselves – to shush.
"I didn’t see it at the time," said Suter. "It’s a big hit in a big moment. I’ve had some celebrations where after a big out I pumped my fist and stuff. It’s part of the game. When you deliver in big moments like he did, celebrations are part of the game."
Hotdogging? No question.
But it also added a little more spice to a rivalry that has finally heated back up.
And there’s nothing wrong with that, especially after the two-month pandemic sprint of 2020 and fans finally being allowed back into ballparks in limited numbers for the time being.
It's all about entertainment, after all.
"Getting the fans back in the stands makes the game more fun, and we're going to feel a lot of emotions," said Luis Urías, a relative newcomer to the rivalry who provided both Milwaukee's runs with his homer in the second.
"We want to win every game but with the Cubs, it's been a fight for us. It's been fun to play these kinds of games."
Milwaukee faithful get annoyed with all the Chicagoans that typically take over what’s now American Family Field, but the atmosphere never fails to be charged. And games at Wrigley Field always have a certain ambience to them, even with the recent commercialization of the ballpark.
After Wednesday, the Brewers are back in Chicago for a three-game series next weekend. Then, the teams don't see each other again until late June in Milwaukee.
Hopefully the fun picks right back up where it leaves off this time around.