Busch Stadium’s dugout steps became a pro wrestling turnbuckle, and Willson Contreras was atop it, whipping his curtain callers into a frenzy.
The Cardinals’ catcher had tilted Thursday night's power-packed series opener against the Dodgers in the home team’s favor with a three-run homer against Dodgers starter Julio Urias in the third inning. The 434-foot shot to dead center rattled Urias and sparked the fuse for a six-run frame. Contreras watched it fly. He pounded his chest with a closed fist while staring back into a roaring Cardinals dugout.
He wasn't done. Not even close.
After the Dodgers pulled within one in the seventh, and Lars Nootbaar’s single and a wild pitch pushed the Cardinals' advantage to three, Contreras watched Dodgers reliever Yency Almonte intentionally walk Paul Goldschmidt to face him.