John Smoltz took a step back from his criticism of William Contreras, but his explanation on Tuesday came with a strange wrinkle.
The former MLB pitcher and current broadcaster drew backlash during Game 3 of the World Series on Monday after questioning the Milwaukee Brewers catcher’s decision to challenge a ball in a 2-0 game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Contreras, who has been excellent with ABS challenges, got the call right on the pitch Smoltz singled out. The complaint, though, wasn’t about the pitch itself - it was about whether that was the right moment to make the challenge.
A lot of fans saw it differently. With the Brewers up only 2-0, plenty of people felt it was a perfectly reasonable time to use the challenge.
Smoltz revisited the topic Tuesday on MLB Network’s MLB Now, and he softened his stance. Still, his explanation didn’t quite line up with the situation from Monday, since he referred to it as a 10-0 game rather than addressing the actual score that had drawn the criticism.
“This guy is unbelievable, he is,” Smoltz said of Contreras. “He knows the strike zone… I think sometimes when we're in a 10-0 game, that's I guess when I was looking at it saying… I had to rethink it… If I'm a pitcher on the mound and he's fighting for me, then I'm happy about it.”
Contreras has been a force throughout the World Series. He’s been sharp with his ABS challenges, but that’s only part of the story. He’s also been stopping pitches all over the place, throwing out runners, and putting together quality at-bats.
At this point, he could even wind up as World Series MVP.
Of course, that still depends on Milwaukee finishing the job. The Brewers lead the series 3-0, and Game 4 is set for Tuesday night at 8 PM ET in Tampa Bay.
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