The St. Louis Cardinals expressed some frustration on Thursday as the team blew a golden opportunity to eat into the Chicago Cubs‘ lead in the NL Central this week. The Cardinals won their first two games of a four-game series against the Cubs at Busch Stadium, but lost the final two games.
Down 3-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson hit a lead-off double. Cubs relief pitcher Daniel Palencia hit Willson Contreras in the next at-bat.
Willson Contreras confronted the Chicago Cubs
Conteras chose to run his month after being hit, telling Palencia to throw strikes, and the pitcher promptly listened to the request, striking out the next three batters to retire the side and give the Cubs a victory over the Cardinals in front of a crowd of 32,793 fans.
Following the third out, Contreras confronted Palencia, causing the benches on both sides to clear.
Per video from Marquee Sports Network:
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
An apology from the St. Louis Cardinals star
Postgame, Contreras told reporters he didn’t want to find Chicago and apologized for his behavior.
“My reaction was bad,” Contreras said via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I apologize to the Chicago Cubs for the way I reacted. … I don’t want to fight them.”
Palencia told reporters he didn’t mean to hit Contreras.
“I was pretty hype … I don’t want to hit that guy,” Palencia said. “I’ve been watching that guy since I was a kid.”
With the win, the Cubs improved to 48-33 before their three-game series on the road against the Houston Astros beginning on Friday. Chicago enjoys a three-game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central.
For More Chicago Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Cubs may have ideal trade bait to entice Miami Marlins/Sandy Alcantara deal, per analyst
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
