Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Pops homer Monday

Contreras went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a hit-by-pitch in Monday's 6-2 win over the Padres.

Contreras' first-inning blast gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead, which was enough support for Kyle Gibson. It's been a bit of a slow start to the year for Contreras -- he's 2-for-14 with two walks, five strikeouts and two runs scored over four contests. Facing the Dodgers' formidable pitching staff in the first series likely played a role in that, so he should be expected to hit just fine over a larger sample.