Ross: Contreras HBP unintentional, but ‘enough is enough'

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The Cubs don’t believe the Brewers intentionally hit Willson Contreras in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s loss.

But they do believe Contreras’ reaction was warranted.

The backstop took exception to Brad Boxberger’s fastball hitting him on the upper left arm, just one day after he took a Devin Williams fastball off the helmet.

“He's an emotional guy, and I don't know that I would have reacted any different after what's happened and how many times he's been hit by that particular group,” Cubs manager David Ross said pregame Wednesday of Contreras’ reaction.

Contreras, who isn’t in Wednesday’s lineup due to a scheduled day off, expressed his frustration in the moment Tuesday, pointing two fingers at Boxberger and the Brewers dugout.

Brewers catcher Omar Narvaez stepped between Contreras and Boxberger, and while both benches and bullpens cleared, order was soon restored.

"You never want to see any player get hit,” Ross said. “It's a scary thing, how hard guys throw now.”

In his last 11 games against the Brewers, Contreras has been hit by a pitch six times. Infielder Travis Shaw said after Tuesday’s game that the Brewers, who were leading 4-0 at the time, didn’t intentionally hit Contreras.

Ross echoed that notion on Wednesday, even adding he doesn’t think Contreras felt the pitch was intentional. But...

“At some point, enough is enough. Whether it's intentional or unintentional, there's usually consequences to those things,” the Cubs skipper added. “Pitching in is important in baseball — you have to pitch in and sometimes you're going to mess up and hit a guy. 

“But when it's consistent, emotions flare, emotions get out of control, and there's consequences.”

It took two games into the season for fireworks to ensue between the Cubs and Brewers. They’ll meet 16 more times this season — including six more times this month after Wednesday.

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