Contreras continues sizzling July, but 'perfect throw' seals win

PHILADELPHIA -- William Contreras put the Brewers in a position to win Wednesday's game against the Phillies with his bat -- and then, he emphatically sealed the deal with his arm.

In the middle of the hottest stretch of his career, Contreras put on yet another all-around show to lead Milwaukee to a 5-3 victory at Citizens Bank Park. The Brewers have won five of their past six games to remain 2 ½ games ahead of the Reds in the National League Central.

Contreras snapped a 3-3 tie with a go-ahead two-out RBI double in the seventh, then added another RBI double in the top of the ninth. Still, it was the play he made in the bottom half of the ninth that put an exclamation mark on his night.

With runners on the corners and only one out, Contreras made a perfect throw to nab Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott -- the potential tying run -- as he attempted to swipe second base.

So what did Contreras enjoy most?

“The defense,” Contreras said with a smile. “That throw in the ninth, that was the best play in the game for me.”

It’s hard to argue otherwise.

Stott was 16-for-17 on stolen base attempts this season, and he hadn’t been caught since April 27. He had swiped 13 consecutive bases successfully. And if that wasn't enough, it all came with Alec Bohm at the plate, a player who entered the night hitting .351 (33-for-94) with runners in scoring position this season.

“It was a perfect throw,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Really good tag, but he put the throw right where it had to be to get him.”

Bohm tipped the next pitch into Contreras’ glove for strike three to end the game. The catcher turned to show the ump the ball, then let out a yell and pumped his arms in celebration on home plate before trotting out to congratulate Devin Williams on the save.

“When you have days like that, you're very grateful,” Contreras said through a translator. “Being able to contribute both on the defensive side and the offensive side, that's a very special day.”

But days like that have seemingly become the norm for the 25-year-old catcher. Contreras’ three-hit night on Wednesday marked his eighth multihit effort in 12 games this month. It was his second three-hit game in his past four, matching his total from his first 72 games.

In July, Contreras is hitting .412 (21-for-51) with seven extra-base hits and nine RBIs in 12 games. The 21 hits are by far his most in any 12-game stretch of his young career.

“He was all over the game tonight, for sure -- offensively, defensively,” Counsell said. “He made his impact felt in every part of the game. He's been playing at a really high level for a while now.”

But again, it’s the defense that Contreras takes the most pride in -- and for good reason.

Over the previous two seasons with the Braves, Contreras racked up -11 Defensive Runs Saved. That ranked 56th out of 64 catchers with at least 500 innings behind the plate.

Fast forward to 2023 and Contreras entered Wednesday night with 7 DRS -- the most by any catcher in the Majors.

“I'm definitely very happy with my defense this year. It's a big change from last year to this year, so I'm happy with what I've done,” Contreras said. “But we've still got over two months of the season left, so you still have to work and continue to find ways to get better.”

Contreras is also tied for second in Statcast's blocking metric and tied for fourth in framing.

“He's just super athletic,” said starter Colin Rea, who held the Phillies to three runs (two earned) over five innings. “He can literally do everything. All around, he's just a great player.”

And the Brewers are confident he’s only going to get better.

“This is his second full year in the league -- so that's just something to remember, too,” Counsell said. “This is a young player, this is a hard position to contribute from on both sides of the ball and this is a player that's at a position that, traditionally, it takes a little while and it's a tough position. He's done a heck of a job and we're lucky to have him.”

As for the display of emotion after the final out, Counsell is hoping to see a lot more of that down the stretch.

“I mean, you're the catcher and you throw out the tying run in the ninth inning,” Counsell said, “you deserve it.”