In his first start behind the plate, Cubs rookie catcher Willson Contreras staked his claim to a small plot of land on the North Side.
With the Cubs trailing by a run in the top of the ninth, the Cardinals were looking to tack onto their one-run lead. With two outs and Aledmys Diaz on first, Jedd Gyorko hit a double to the left-field wall. Left fielder Kris Bryant fielded the ball, threw a perfect relay to shortstop Addison Russell, who threw a strike to Contreras, who tagged out Diaz and ended the inning.
“If a runner is going to try and score on my plate, if they make a good throw, they won’t score on my plate,” Contreras said after Monday’s 3-2 loss to St.