ST. LOUIS -- Willson Contreras made sure this series ended on his terms.
Facing his former team, Contreras powered the Red Sox to a 9-3 win over the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium, finishing a series-clinching victory with four hits and three RBIs.
After going hitless in the opener, Contreras caught fire over the final two games, collecting six hits and providing the spark for a Boston offense that had struggled to find consistency early in the series.
He wasted no time setting the tone Sunday. With two outs in the first, Contreras barreled a 94.6 mph sinker and sent it a Statcast-projected 411 feet to center field for a two-run homer, giving Boston an early lead.
The swing came on a full count, and not by accident. Contreras said he was anticipating that exact pitch, using his familiarity with Andre Pallante to his advantage and adjusting his approach mid at-bat. It was a calculated moment, and one that immediately shifted the energy in Boston’s dugout.
From there, he kept piling on.
Contreras singled in the third, fourth and seventh innings, finishing 4-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. His fourth-inning single drove in Jarren Duran and extended Boston’s lead, continuing a stretch in which the Red Sox consistently put the ball in play and applied pressure.
“It always feels good to get things started like that,” Contreras said. “When you score early, it gives the pitcher some comfort and lets everyone settle in.”
The offense followed his lead.
After struggling to generate runs earlier in the series, Boston broke through in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Duran drove a ball into the right-center gap, clearing the bases with a three-run double to give the Red Sox a 6-1 lead.
Moments later, Contreras delivered again, lining a single to bring Duran home and stretch the advantage to 7-1.
The inning reflected a shift in approach for Boston -- one centered on contact, discipline and trusting the process rather than chasing power. After breaking out with a five-run ninth inning the night before, the Red Sox carried that momentum into Sunday, stringing together quality at-bats and forcing St. Louis to defend.
Boston finished with 12 hits, with Trevor Story adding four of his own.
“We’re trying to be relentless,” Story said. “Just get on base, hit line drives and trust that the slug will come later. The last two days are a good sign of that.”
On the mound, Brayan Bello delivered his best outing of the season, allowing two runs on six hits across 6 2/3 innings. He worked efficiently after early traffic and leaned heavily on his sinker to keep St. Louis off balance.
Bello threw 94 pitches, including 61 strikes, and used his sinker more than half the time, consistently generating weak contact and quick outs. After uneven outings to begin his season, it was a step forward for a rotation still searching for consistency behind its top arms.
“He threw strikes and mixed all his pitches,” manager Alex Cora said. “The lead gave him freedom to attack, but we want him to do that regardless of the score.”
Bello exited to a loud ovation from Red Sox fans in attendance, a reflection of both his outing and the importance of the moment.
Boston’s bullpen handled the final seven outs without issue, preserving a game that never felt within reach after the fourth inning.
The victory secured Boston’s second consecutive series win and capped a bounce-back weekend after dropping the opener Friday night.
For a team that opened the season searching for rhythm, the past two games offered a glimpse of what that identity can look like -- strong starting pitching paired with consistent, disciplined offense.
More importantly, it showed signs of an offense beginning to find its footing.
And at the center of it all was Contreras -- not just producing, but setting the tone with his energy, presence and approach against a team that knows him well.