New Boston Red Soxfirst baseman Willson Contreras and the Milwaukee Brewers have built a lengthy history through repeated matchups across multiple seasons.
Contreras has faced Milwaukee regularly, dating back to his days with the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals—all three franchises, including the Brewers, part of the National League Central—from 2016 through 2025.
According to MLB's Adam McCalvy and Ian Browne, Contreras has been hit by a pitch 131 times in his career, and 24 of those hits happened in games against the Brewers.
On top of that, six of those HBP have come against Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who was on the mound on Monday.
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“It’s not just the hit-by-pitch, it’s the 24th pitch they’ve hit me in my career — 24th,” Contreras said afterward. “That’s the sixth time (Brandon Woodruff) has hit me, and they always say, ‘I’m not trying to hit you.’ That gets old.”
The latest pitch grazed Contreras’ hands in the third inning, prompting an immediate reaction as he threw his bat and shouted something.
Moments later, the situation escalated further. On a force play, Contreras slid hard into second base, making contact with shortstop David Hamilton and tearing his pants as Hamilton went down briefly.
Ultimately, Contreras delivered a clear message, sending a warning to the Brewers ahead of Tuesday's rematch.
“Nobody likes getting hit at any point, I took exception with it—the 24th time, it’s not coincidence, they’re going there with a purpose,” Contreras said. “That’s fine, that’s pitching.
“But next time you hit me, the message is clear. I’m going to take one of them out.”
The teams will meet again on Tuesday, starting at 6:45 p.m. ET, with Contreras scheduled to face Jacob Misiorowski in his first at-bat.
