Cubs' Contreras after skirmish with Brewers: 'I can't say it's over'

It only took two games to bring the Chicago Cubs-Milwaukee Brewers rivalry to a full boil.

Benches cleared in the eighth inning of Saturday's 9-0 Cubs win at Wrigley Field after Chicago's Keegan Thompson hit Brewers veteran Andrew McCutchen. The skirmish featured little more than shouting from both sides, though it felt like a preview of future hostilities between the divisional foes.

Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, who was also hit by a pitch Saturday and jawed with McCutchen when the benches emptied, isn't certain that was the end of it.

"I can't say it's over," Contreras said, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. "On my part, I hope it dies right there, because there is a lot of talent on both teams. ... Their coaching staff needs to realize that we're human beings playing out there, and if you don't care about other players, we don't care about yours."

Saturday's game featured no shortage of HBPs, with Brewers pitchers hitting three Cubs before McCutchen got plunked. Contreras also took an HBP on Opening Day, and Chicago manager David Ross noted Milwaukee has hit his catcher at least 10 times in the last three years.

"I think it's actually more than that," Ross said, according to Jordan Bastian and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. "We like to count them all."

Several Brewers, including manager Craig Counsell and starter Brandon Woodruff, insisted they weren't targeting the Cubs despite the history between the teams.

"I understand that over the last couple of years, we have hit their guys a lot, especially one guy (Contreras) in particular, but it's just how we're trying to pitch him," Woodruff said, according to Bastian and McCalvy. "Sometimes balls get away, but we're not trying to do it on purpose; it's not intentional."

Contreras ultimately agreed with Woodruff but added that the Brewers need to execute their pitches a bit better.

"I know they're not trying to (hit me)," he said. "But like I've said before, if you don't have the command to go in, just don't go, because you're going to get somebody hurt."