Cardinals, Cubs benches clear ... after final out

ST. LOUIS -- Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia pounded his chest and let out a few celebratory shouts following a game-ending strikeout of Nolan Gorman on Thursday afternoon. Palencia then spun on the mound and looked toward first base, adding a few final words.

Willson Contreras -- the long-time Cubs catcher and now first baseman for the Cardinals -- was on first base at the time and took exception with Palencia’s celebration. Contreras took a few steps toward the mound, but a brief emptying of the benches cooled and cleared quickly at the conclusion of Chicago’s 3-0 win over their rivals from St. Louis.

“I was just excited,” Palencia said.

The tense moment came after Palencia had fired a high-and-tight fastball -- one clocked at 100.5 mph, per Statcast -- that hit one of Contreras’ hands earlier in the ninth inning. After being hit, the Cardinals veteran nodded his head and had a few words for the hard-throwing righty as he made his way to first base.

Palencia insisted that the errant offering was not intentional.

“It’s just part of the game,” Palencia said. “I don’t want to hit that guy. I’ve been watching that guy since I was a kid. I’m proud of him -- what he’s doing for the game. Like I said, the moment was intense. Close game.”

Contreras chatted with local reporters after the game and referenced the multiple injuries he sustained last season. He fractured his left forearm in May when he was struck by the swing of J.D. Martinez while catching for St. Louis. Then on Aug. 24, Contreras’ season ended early due to a fracture of his right middle finger – the result of a hit-by-pitch.

Given that recent history, Contreras did not appreciate the high-velocity heater from the 25-year-old Palencia that veered so far inside.

“Last year, I got two broken bones,” Contreras said. “And I know he's not trying to hit anybody there. I know I react – the way I react. Again, I know he's not trying to. I just said, ‘Throw strikes.’ My reaction was bad. I take that back. I apologize to the Chicago Cubs. … But I'm not trying to get another broken bone.”

Cubs veteran Ian Happ -- a teammate of Contreras’ from 2017-22 -- smiled when asked about the emotional reaction from the Cardinals’ first baseman.

“That’s Willson, you know?” Happ said. “He loves his teammates. He loves to play hard. He’s going to be a guy that is in it every pitch. Any time you get hit up and in, in a spot like that, it’s scary. Guys are frustrated. I totally get it. Just the heat of the moment and competition.”

Contreras insisted he was not trying to begin an altercation with his former team or Palencia.

“I'm not trying to fight them,” Contreras said. “I just react to the heat of the moment. … I'm not trying to fight anybody. He did his job. The only thing that I didn't appreciate was the way he turned around. But once again, that’s just the heat of the game. He came out with a good staff to put another zero on the board, and they won today.”

After Palencia put two runners aboard via a double from Alec Burleson and the hit-by-pitch of Contreras, the righty buckled down and struck out the next three batters he faced. The final pitch came via a 2-2 slider that was called for the game-ending strikeout, giving Palencia a 1.86 ERA on the year with a team-high eight saves.

“That’s being a closer. That’s what Danny’s doing so well this year,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “You come in with a lead, the other team gets a rally, then the emotion of the stadium starts to go up. And if everything starts to go up, then you have to control it and make pitches. And that’s where Danny’s taken a huge step forward this year.

“You succeed in moments like that, where that very thing happens, that’s what the ninth inning’s about.”