The St Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 on an Alex Burelson walk-off homer on Monday night. They are likely out of the National League Wild Card race, but a hot September could lead to a magical fall in St Louis. That became less likely on Tuesday, when one of their top hitters was suspended. Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras was given a six-game suspension for his outburst on Monday night.

“MLB announced that Willson Contreras has received a six-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for his actions during last night's game. Contreras has elected to appeal the suspension,” Fox Sports: MLB reported on X, formerly Twitter.

Contreras disagreed with a strike call that ended his seventh-inning at-bat and said something to the umpire. Whatever that was got him ejected, which set the designated hitter off on a tirade. Multiple coaches and players were trying to hold him back. It ended with a Cardinals coach getting a bat thrown at him.

The Cardinals are 5.5 games out of the final National League Wild Card spot, currently occupied by the New York Mets. If Contreras does serve a six-game suspension, their playoff chances will plummet. Despite coming into the season without any expectations, this would be a tough way to see the final flame die out.

Contreras had a poor start to the season, but has put together great offensive numbers in his first season as a full-time first baseman. He has an .802 OPS and 72 RBI on the campaign, leading the Cardinals in both categories. The 33-year-old is under contract for at least two more seasons, so production into his mid-30s is key.

The Cardinals continue their series with the Pirates on Tuesday night, and Willson Contreras is in the lineup. While he is appealing the suspension, he is eligible to play.

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