Red Sox’s Contreras emotional after homer, ejected minutes later at Fenway

Fenway Park experienced an emotional night Monday as Red Sox outfielder Willson Contreras celebrated a home run with a tribute to Venezuela, his home country, which was recently struck by earthquakes. Contreras’s three-run homer in the first inning helped the Red Sox to a 6-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Contreras, who crushed a 421-foot shot off Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas, celebrated by flipping his bat, slapping his helmet, and shouting “Venezuela” toward the dugout. Teammates and coaches embraced him as he broke down in tears in the dugout, according to reports.

His night took a turn in the second inning after he struck out on a check swing. Umpire Nic Lentz ruled Contreras had gone around, prompting Contreras to silently gesture for a challenge. Lentz then ejected Contreras after the helmet tap, a decision that drew widespread criticism.

Interim manager Chad Tracy attempted to argue the call but was unsuccessful in getting the ejection overturned. The decision was heavily criticized by broadcasters, including NESN analyst Will Middlebrooks, who called the ejection an “absolute joke” and an “embarrassment to the game.”

Contreras told reporters before the game that it was difficult to separate his emotions over the recent earthquakes in Venezuela from his performance on the field. “It is really sad to live through this,” he said. “It is really hard to pretend that everything is okay when we are trying to perform and also seek ways to help.”

The Red Sox’s victory was powered by Contreras’s homer and a home run from Caleb Durbin, but the controversy surrounding Contreras’s ejection overshadowed the game’s outcome.

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