ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) 鈥� Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo L贸pez and Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler were ejected after getting into a brawl Tuesday night.
Soler homered off L贸pez in the first inning, then was hit by a 96 mph fastball from the right-hander his next time up. In the fifth, Soler charged the mound after L贸pez threw a high-and-inside wild pitch that tipped off catcher Jonah Heim’s mitt.
At first, L贸pez held up his hands as the two glared at each other before both started throwing punches.
鈥淚 asked him if everything was OK and the answer he gave me, I didn鈥檛 like it,鈥� Soler said through a translator, according to MLB.com. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I went out there.鈥�
The benches and bullpens emptied as players from both teams tried to separate the two. Atlanta manager Walt Weiss was among those who tackled Soler, the 2021 World Series MVP with the Braves.
鈥淚 love Soler. We were teammates here,鈥� Weiss said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 a big man, and so I just felt I’ve gotta get him off his feet because he鈥檚 gonna hurt somebody. And so that was my instinct, just to get in there and get Jorge off his feet, yeah, because he was on a warpath.鈥�
L贸pez was still holding the baseball when he landed a punch on Soler’s batting helmet.
The two were teammates in Atlanta during the second half of the 2024 season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,鈥� L贸pez said through a translator, according to MLB.com. 鈥淥n my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So, again, it鈥檚 just a shame.鈥�
Atlanta led 4-2 when the fight occurred and went on to
Soler’s two-run shot in the first made him 14 for 23 with five homers and three doubles against L贸pez.
鈥淥bviously, I have good numbers against him,鈥� Soler said. 鈥淎fter the home run and getting hit by a pitch after that, and then he missed way too high and close to my head. At this level, you can鈥檛 miss like that.鈥�
Weiss understood why Soler was mad.
鈥淚 know it didn鈥檛 look good because of Soler鈥檚 numbers against L贸pey, and he hit a homer, he hit him. It didn鈥檛 look good,” Weiss said. “L贸pey鈥檚 not throwing at him. I don鈥檛 allow our pitchers to throw at people just because they can鈥檛 get 鈥檈m out. Our job is to get 鈥檈m out. But I understand why Soler got angry. And he鈥檚 a really mild-mannered guy. So, I think the switch flipped for him.
鈥淭here was no intent there. I just think that L贸pey鈥檚 just overthrowing, because he鈥檚 had a hard time getting him out. But he鈥檚 certainly not trying to hit him,鈥� Weiss added.
L贸pez pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
鈥淥bviously, guy鈥檚 got good numbers off L贸pez, and hits a homer his first at-bat. Gets drilled up high in the wrist his second at-bat and then third one takes a good swing and then throws the next one head-high. It wasn鈥檛 over his head but it was head-high coming in,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 blame Jorge one bit. He went out there and words were exchanged and Jorge went out,鈥� Suzuki added. 鈥淵ou get thrown at your head, you have a family, your career, you know, it鈥檚 dangerous. I know it鈥檚 part of the game. I know it happens.”
The Angels won in the opener of the three-game series. Tuesday night’s game was more eventful, to say the least.
鈥淚t gets your juices flowing a little bit, on both teams I鈥檓 sure,” Weiss said. “So, as long as nobody gets hurt, it鈥檚 kind of a good time. But as long as nobody gets hurt. But yeah, I was proud of our guys the way we handled everything tonight.鈥�
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