Red Sox and Brewers Series: Old Grudge Reignited
The Red Sox and Brewers don’t share a division anymore. They don’t need to. Willson Contreras and Milwaukee have carried their own history into this series, and on Friday night it spilled back into view.
Brandon Woodruff drilled Contreras with a pitch, and the veteran catcher-turned-first baseman snapped. It wasn’t the first time. Not even close.
Contreras has now been hit by Brewers pitchers 24 times in his career. Six of those have come off Woodruff’s arm alone. That kind of number doesn’t feel like random traffic on the inner half. It feels personal, and Contreras made it clear he sees it exactly that way.
“The 24th time, it’s not [a] coincidence,” he said, via Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “They’re going there with a purpose. And 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.”
That’s not the language of a simmering annoyance. That’s a line in the sand.
Milwaukee, for its part, didn’t blink. Christian Yelich, who has seen this drama play out across a decade of NL Central clashes, brushed off the latest chapter.
“We’ve seen that skit for the last 10 years,” Yelich said. “It’s nothing new. Not surprising. You just keep it rolling. You got a game to win and lock the boys in, rally the troops.”
So here they are again, carrying a long-running feud into a fresh ballpark and a new season, with both sides insisting they’re focused on the scoreboard even as the bruise count mounts.
A Tense Night Sets Up a High-Stakes Matchup
All of that bad blood funnels straight into tonight’s game at Fenway Park, where the baseball itself promises to be worth the watch even without the extra edge.
At 6:45 p.m. local time, Boston hands the ball to its ace, Garrett Crochet. The left-hander came within touching distance of the AL Cy Young award last year and has opened this season like a man intent on finishing the job, posting a 3.27 ERA through his first two starts. He attacks, he works quickly, and when he’s in rhythm, hitters spend the night walking back to the dugout shaking their heads.
Across the diamond, Milwaukee counters with Jacob Misiorowski, a hard-throwing right-hander who wasted no time making his mark last year. He earned an All-Star nod as a rookie and has followed it up with a 2.45 ERA over his first two outings of this campaign. His stuff jumps, his fastball lives in uncomfortable places, and he brings the kind of presence that can quiet a road crowd in a hurry.
On paper, it’s a showcase: two frontline arms, both already in midseason form, both capable of turning this into a tight, nervy pitcher’s duel.
In reality, it’s more than that. Every pitch inside to Contreras will draw a reaction. Every Brewers hitter who takes one off the ribs will be scrutinized. Umpires will be alert. Benches will be watching. One mistake with intent—or even the appearance of it—and the whole night can tilt.
The Brewers say they’ve seen this movie. Contreras insists he’s ready to write a new ending. Fenway, always eager for a little extra edge, will gladly host the next act.
