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WASHINGTON, D.C.: Last night it was Chicago Cubs’ catcher Miguel Montero talking out of turn about how his pitcher Jake Arrieta’s slow times to home were behind the seven stolen bases against the Cubbies in a 6-1 loss, and it led to the veteran catcher getting DFA’d early on Wednesday afternoon.
Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. in the third of four between Chicago’s defending World Series champs and the Nationals in the nation’s capital, 25-year-old, second-year catcher Willson Contreras was caught on camera jawing at another player.
At least it was a member of the opposition a Cubs’ catcher was talking to/about this time.
Contreras, who homered for the ninth time this season in the fifth, taking a 2-0 fastball from Stephen Strasburg to left for a towering blast, took his time time rounding the bases, and later had a brief one-sided chat with the Nationals’ starter after he popped up in his next bat in the sixth.
Contreras popped out to short and was on his way back to the Cubs’ dugout on the third base side of the field when this happened:
Quick look at #Cubs' C Wilson Contreras's one-sided chat w/ Stephen Strasburg: https://t.co/3yaHoHGess via @GIPHY pic.twitter.com/ZSLP7Tmi01
— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) June 29, 2017
FP Santangelo, on MASN’s broadcast of the game, suggested that it was likely tied to Strasburg’s reaction to the home run trot by Contreras.
“It goes back to the home run trot we showed you, I’ll guarantee you that,” Santangelo declared, describing it as a “very celebratory” trot, and noting that the catcher made a crow-hop at third base, though he seemed to do it at second too base, and then did a leaping forearm bash with third base coach Gary Jones as he headed towards home.
What a punk! How brash! Oh, wait, that’s Bryce Harper.
Oh, the drama! Dusty Baker noticed it too, though he didn’t know what to make of it.
“I don’t know what they were talking about,” Baker said. “I asked Stras, and you know Stras is a matter-of-fact kind of guy, and so I didn’t elaborate or ask him too many questions and then [home plate umpire] Tim Timmons came over later in the game and he just said that it was mostly Contreras jawing at him, and so I don’t know what he was talking about and I don’t know if Stras even understood what he was saying, maybe that’s why he didn’t get upset or even do anything about it or think about it.”
Strasburg, for his part, apparently had no idea what anyone was talking about:
Stephen Strasburg said he had no idea what Wilson Contreras was yapping about. Truly had no clue.
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) June 29, 2017
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?!?!?!? WILL THERE BE REPERCUSSIONS?!?!?! WILL SOMEONE GET SOME CHIN MUSIC TOMORROW?!?!?!? OMG!!!! OMG!!! OMG!!!!! IS THERE A RIVALRY BETWEEN THE CUBS AND NATIONALS NOW!!! WHY ISN’T JOE MADDON WALKING BRYCE HARPER ANYMORE?!?!?! WHY NOT?!?!?!?