Contreras Haunts Former Team as Cardinals Fall 9-3

Former Cardinal Willson Contreras homers and drives in three to lead Red Sox over St. Louis

Apr. 12, 2026 at 10:19pm

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting depicting a baseball game, with the players' movements and actions broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and forms in a cubist style.A cubist interpretation of the Cardinals-Red Sox matchup, with Willson Contreras' dominant performance against his former team captured in a fragmented, geometric style.St. Louis Today

In his first series against his former team, Willson Contreras had a big weekend, going 6-for-13 with 6 RBIs to lead the Boston Red Sox to a series win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Contreras capped off his strong performance with a 4-hit game on Sunday, including a 2-run homer, as the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals 9-3.

Why it matters

Contreras was a key part of the Cardinals' lineup for several seasons before being traded to Boston this past offseason. His dominant performance against his former team highlights the challenges the Cardinals' pitching staff faced in containing one of their former offensive threats.

The details

Contreras hit a 2-run homer in the 1st inning off Cardinals starter Andre Pallante, who allowed 7 runs on 10 hits over 5 innings. Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson hit solo homers for the Cardinals, but they managed just 7 hits as a team. Contreras and Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story combined for 8 hits, more than the entire Cardinals lineup.

  • Contreras hit his 2-run homer in the 1st inning.
  • Walker hit his solo homer in the 2nd inning.
  • Burleson hit his solo homer in the 8th inning.

The players

Willson Contreras

A former All-Star catcher who played for the Cardinals before being traded to the Red Sox this past offseason.

Jordan Walker

A rising young star for the Cardinals, who hit his 7th home run of the season in the game.

Andre Pallante

The Cardinals' starting pitcher, who struggled against his former teammate Contreras, allowing 7 runs on 10 hits over 5 innings.

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What they’re saying

“Willson really hurt us this weekend. He's a tough hitter and he showed that against his former team.”

— Oliver Marmol, Cardinals Manager

What’s next

The Cardinals will look to bounce back in their next series against the Milwaukee Brewers, while the Red Sox will try to build on their series win over their former teammate.

The takeaway

This series highlighted the challenges the Cardinals face in containing their former star player Willson Contreras, who proved he can still be a dominant offensive force against his old team. The Cardinals' pitching staff will need to find ways to limit Contreras' impact going forward.