Arizona Diamondbacks starter Madison Bumgarner has earned a reputation for being a hothead on the mound and we saw just that on Wednesday. St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras took a big hack at a MadBum fastball and the veteran apparently didn't like it, proceeding to tell Contreras to shut the f*** up.
Well, Bumgarner proceeded to walk Contreras and ended up unraveling in that third inning, giving up four runs. Following the contest, the Venezuelan took didn't shy away from trolling the southpaw. Via Talkin' Baseball:
“I mean, what can I say, I know it's part of the game but if you say something to me I will say something back. For me, it's like mind games. Thankfully I got in his mind and he blew out in that inning.”
Willson Contreras on Madison Bumgarner:
"For me, it's like mind games. Thankfully I got in his mind and he blew out in that inning."
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 19, 2023
Willson Contreras started that inning with a walk. Tyler O'Neill also got on base before rookie Jordan Walker drove Contreras in. After that, Tommy Edman clubbed a three-run home run and chased Bumgarner, who is struggling immensely to start the season. It's no wonder he's frustrated.
Mind games are undoubtedly part of baseball, but it's clear MadBum is just miserable at the moment. I mean, he's given up 19 earned runs in four starts. That's atrocious. He's also got to realize he can't overpower hitters anymore with a high 80s fastball. The attitude is unnecessary.
As for Contreras, he's always played with a chip on his shoulder, too. The 30-year-old actually had quite the day, going 2 for 3 with an RBI and two walks. So yes, he certainly got the last laugh.
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