On Monday night, the struggling St. Louis Cardinals were dealt another tough blow as they fell to the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks by a final score of 6-3 in their series opener.
However, there were some good moments during the game.
Catcher Willson Contreras provided some clutch hitting, while also showing off his arm behind the plate.
The 30-year-old was signed by the Cardinals over the winter to fill the hole left by Yadier Molina’s retirement.
But for fans missing Molina, Contreras gave a reminder of what the Cardinals former catcher was able to accomplish over the course of his career when he threw out Alek Thomas, who was attempting to steal second base.
WILLSON!!! Right on the money as he throws out Alek Thomas. #STLCards
TV: Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: https://t.co/11YaIcV7SD pic.twitter.com/DUl8unsU9C— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) April 18, 2023
Cardinals fans always enjoyed watching Molina at work when he was behind the plate.
The future Hall-of-Famer and two-time World Series champion had a knock for throwing out runners attempting to steal bases.
While Contreras is better known for his offense, the new Cardinals catcher gave fans a nice reminder of Molina’s defensive prowess.
Even more impressive was the fact that Contreras had fouled a pitch off of his toe and managed to stay in the game.
But he pushed through the pain and it didn’t affect him as he quickly put Thomas away.
Contreras later tied the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, which was his second hit of the night.
The Cardinals are certainly missing the presence that Molina brought to the club, but if Contreras continues to throw runners out, the team will forget all about the loss of the future Hall-of-Famer.
NEXT:
Cardinals Manager Addresses The Outfield Logjam
