Homer, Ejection, Venezuelan Tears
Emotional Contreras homers, ejected, breaks down over Venezuelan earthquake tragedy
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Key Points
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Contreras has publicly embraced his Venezuelan heritage on the field, with the hat bearing the letters 'VZ' and teammates such as Wilyer Abreu, Carlos Narváez, and Ranger Suárez also wearing it; the Red Sox roster includes five Venezuelans, underscoring a unified leadership group.
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He crushed a 421-foot, first-inning three-run homer to give Boston the lead, then later broke down in tears in the dugout as he reflected on the tragedy unfolding in Venezuela, with Abreu and Narváez offering support.
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In the second inning, Contreras was ejected after a failed check swing; he tapped his helmet signaling an ABS challenge, which led umpire Nic Lentz to eject him from the game.
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Andruw Monasterio replaced Contreras after the ejection, and Boston went on to win 6-3, extending their five-game win streak—the club’s longest since mid-2025 (a seven-game stretch began July 29, 2025, per one report).
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Contreras has been fundraising and speaking out about the Venezuelan earthquakes, with the death toll reported to be over 1,700, highlighting the magnitude of the disaster he is trying to address.
Willson Contreras hit a 421-foot, three-run homer in the first inning, then broke down in tears minutes later — all while fundraising for earthquake victims back home in Venezuela. The Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Sunday night at Fenway Park, extending their winning streak to five games, Boston.com reported.
The night was electric and gut-wrenching at once. Over 1,700 people have died in Venezuela since a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on June 24, Heavy.com reported. Contreras, one of five Venezuelans on Boston's roster, has been raising money and speaking out about the disaster all week.
A 421-Foot Homer Dedicated to Venezuela
Contreras crushed a ball off Nationals starter Miles Mikolas at 108 mph exit velocity in the first inning. As he rounded the bases, he shouted "Venezuela!" After the inning ended, he sat in the dugout and cried. Teammates Wilyer Abreu and Carlos Narváez — both Venezuelan — came over to comfort him, Sportskeeda reported.
"The homer just represents something that I pray to God for," Contreras said. "That's the only thing I can do for Venezuela right now physically. It's not easy just to show up and play with everything going on in my country," per Sportskeeda. He entered the game with 18 home runs this season, the most on the club.
Helmet Tap Leads to Bizarre Second-Inning Ejection
In the second inning, home plate umpire Nic Lentz called Contreras out on a check swing after a first-base appeal. As Contreras walked away, he tapped his helmet — the signal players use to request an Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge. Lentz immediately threw him out, Boston.com reported.
Lentz explained the call plainly. "He started gesturing, tapping his helmet, like he wanted to challenge something that is not a challengeable call. So disrespect... got him removed from the game," he said, per Sports Illustrated. Interim manager Chad Tracy stormed out to argue. NESN analyst Will Middlebrooks called the ejection "an embarrassment to the game."
Red Sox Lean on Venezuelan Core Through Emotional Week
The Red Sox have five Venezuelan players on the roster: Contreras, Abreu, Narváez, pitcher Ranger Suárez, and others. All week, several wore caps marked "VZ" and wrote "SOS" and "All Together For Venezuela" on their gear, Chicago Tribune reported. Suárez pitched six innings Sunday and earned the win, going to 4-3 on the season.
Tracy said the team understood what Contreras was carrying. "I think he felt like he showed him up... [Willson] is going through a lot," Tracy said, per Heavy.com. Andruw Monasterio stepped in at first base after the ejection. Boston still won comfortably.
Win Streak Builds as Venezuela Death Toll Climbs
The 6-3 victory pushed Boston's winning streak to five games — the team's longest since a seven-game run that started July 29, 2025. The Red Sox are now 37-46 and sit just four games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, Heavy.com reported.
Meanwhile, the disaster in Venezuela keeps growing. The confirmed death toll rose above 1,719 by June 30, with over 46,000 people still missing, according to the United Nations. The twin earthquakes — a 7.2 foreshock followed by a 7.5 mainshock — caused an estimated $4.7 billion to $8.7 billion in damage. Contreras has publicly criticized the Venezuelan government's slow response, sharing posts on social media about aid bottlenecks in hard-hit La Guaira, Chicago Tribune reported.
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