Almost precisely one yr in the past, Ian Happ and Willson Contreras waited out their Cubs futures at Busch Stadium on commerce deadline day, the potential finish to their time in Chicago and as teammates.
They crossed paths once more Thursday in St. Louis as opponents caught inside the fluky moments of the game that shortly spiraled uncontrolled for the Cardinals. Happ hit Contreras within the head on his backswing throughout the first inning of the Cubs’ 10-3 win that moved them to .500. The knock minimize and bloodied Contreras’ scalp, forcing him out of the sport. Happ hugged Contreras, who pressed a towel to his head and was helped again to the dugout.
When Happ stepped again into the batter’s field to renew his at-bat towards Miles Mikolas, the right-hander threw a fastball up and in to Happ, who dodged the pitch. Mikolas didn’t miss with the subsequent one, hitting Happ on his proper glute. It prompted the umpire crew to collect to debate the state of affairs and deemed Mikolas deliberately drilled Happ with the second pitch. Plate umpire Ryan Additon ejected Mikolas, and Cardinals supervisor Oli Marmol was ejected, too, by first-base umpire Will Little.
Asked if he was stunned Mikolas hit him after the placement of the earlier pitch, Happ stated: “No, it kind of felt like he was trying to go in there. You have the ability to get on base for the team, that’s the important thing.”
Added supervisor David Ross: “As a former catcher, that backswing stuff is just scary. It happens. Obviously Happ’s not trying to do that. It’s just part of the game. It stinks.”
The umpire crew is, by rule, required to confer on any throwing incidents earlier than issuing an ejection. They didn’t consider Mikolas meant to hit Happ with the primary pitch after Contreras received whacked by Happ’s bat, so no warnings have been issued. But as soon as Mikolas adopted with the subsequent pitch that drilled Happ, the four-man crew unanimously agreed it was an intentional act.
“That was actually pretty easy,” crew chief Lance Barksdale informed a pool reporter. “If he does it later in the game, maybe it puts some doubt in your mind, maybe he didn’t mean to do it. Two pitches in, like I said, it’s pretty easy on our part.”
Some jawing between the 2 dugouts, together with Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty, prompted Little and third-base umpire Merzel to remain close to the Cardinals and Cubs dugouts, respectively, to make sure nothing occurred.
“Jack actually started over the railing of the dugout,” Little stated by way of a pool reporter. “So the last thing we need is to have them come back out, and the worst thing that could happen them wanting to do the same thing, and then it’s leading to a bench-clearing (event).”
Happ texted Contreras after the sport to verify in on his former teammate. Six years collectively spawned a superb friendship, a bond that was strengthened after the 2021 commerce deadline by way of sharing their All-Star Game expertise final yr and every of their unknowns about their long-term futures with the group.
“A lot of love for him,” Happ stated. “To see him go down and be bleeding from the head, it’s obviously a scary moment.”
Happ wasn’t stunned to see Contreras try to remain within the sport.
“He was trying really hard to stay in the game and trying to fight the trainer as blood’s coming out of his head,” Happ stated. “That’s who he is. We saw that over here for a long time and it’s kind of competitor he is.”
The Cubs went on to win 10-3 for his or her sixth consecutive victory and eighth in 9 video games. At 51-51, they’re .500 for the primary time since May 12.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com