Boston Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras has a message for the Milwaukee Brewers:

"They always say, 'I'm not trying to hit you.' That gets old," Contreras said, via MLB.com, following his team's 8-6 loss on Monday night. "So next time they hit me again, I'm going to take one of them out. That's the message."

Contreras' frustration stemmed from the latest incident in which he was plunked -- nicked, in this case -- by a Brewers pitcher. This time, he was clipped on the hand by a first-pitch sinker from Brandon Woodruff in the bottom of the third, which prompted a heated exchange and necessitated Contreras' brother, Milwaukee catcher William Contreras, to play peacemaker:

Shortly thereafter, Contreras got a measure of reprisal when he slid hard into second baseman David Hamilton on a ground ball:

While the defeat dropped the Red Sox to a disappointing 2-8 on the season, Contreras more than did his part in his latest clash with Milwaukee. On the night, he went 3 for 3 with a home run, a double, a walk, the HBP, and a diving stop at first base in the sixth inning. The performance at the plate gives the 33-year-old slugger and former catcher a 150 OPS+ for the season. 

As for Contreras' serialized hostilities with the Brewers, there's of course a history there. Prior to the offseason trade that brought him from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Red Sox, Contreras had spent his entire career in the NL Central -- home of the Brewers -- first with the Chicago Cubs starting in 2016 and then with the Cardinals from 2023-25. Over that span, he's opposed the Brewers in 121 games and 468 plate appearances, and -- more to the point -- he's been struck by a Brewers pitch on 24 occasions. His next most frequent assailant has been the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, with 14 HBPs apiece. Last season alone, the Brewers drilled Contreras four times. Contreras is a famously intense and emotional player, and it's not hard to draw a straight line from that history to Monday night's display of defiance.

For the Brewers' part, they're of course familiar with the patterns of conflict with Contreras over the years. 

"We've been through this -- it's, what, nine years for me? -- it seems like every year," Woodruff said to reporters post-game, via MLB.com. "He's trying to play a game and he's trying to get his side fired up. Once I knew what was going on, I wasn't going to let it affect me on the mound. I knew I had a job to do."

Now that Contreras is in the American League, the clashes with Milwaukee will be far less frequent, but if Monday night is any guide, they won't be less intense. Speaking of which, the two teams will meet back in Fenway on Tuesday night and then for a matinee on Wednesday. Contreras' pointed warning is prelude enough. 

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