Absolute chaos erupted at Fenway Park Tuesday night when Boston Red Sox player Willson Contreras stormed the mound and threw his batting helmet at Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli, igniting a benches-clearing brawl.
The incident occurred in the fourth inning after Cavalli struck out a visibly frustrated Contreras and told him to "sit down." Contreras immediately charged the mound, leading to both dugouts and bullpens emptying onto the field.
Contreras managed to break free from players attempting to restrain him, escalating the altercation. The umpire issued multiple ejections, including Contreras, Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton, interim manager Chad Tracy, and Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas.
This incident followed a tumultuous 48-hour period for Contreras. The previous night, he was ejected in the second inning for making a sarcastic ABS challenge gesture at an umpire after a check-swing call. Earlier that same day, he had broken down in tears discussing the devastating earthquakes in his native Venezuela.
The helmet throw is likely to result in a suspension from Major League Baseball.