ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) \u2014 Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo L\u00f3pez and Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler were ejected after getting into a brawl Tuesday night. <\/p>\n
Soler homered off L\u00f3pez 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\u00f3pez threw a high-and-inside wild pitch that tipped off catcher Jonah Heim\u2019s mitt.<\/p>\n
At first, L\u00f3pez held up his hands as the two glared at each other before both started throwing punches. <\/p>\n
\u201cI asked him if everything was OK and the answer he gave me, I didn\u2019t like it,\u201d Soler said through a translator, according to MLB.com. \u201cThat\u2019s why I went out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love Soler. We were teammates here,\u201d Weiss said. \u201cBut that\u2019s a big man, and so I just felt I\u2019ve gotta get him off his feet because he\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
L\u00f3pez was still holding the baseball when he landed a punch on Soler\u2019s batting helmet. <\/p>\n
The two were teammates in Atlanta during the second half of the 2024 season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,\u201d L\u00f3pez said through a translator, according to MLB.com. \u201cOn my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So, again, it\u2019s just a shame.\u201d<\/p>\n
Atlanta led 4-2 when the fight occurred and went on to a 7-2 victory.<\/a><\/p>\n Soler\u2019s two-run shot in the first made him 14 for 23 with five homers and three doubles against L\u00f3pez.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, I have good numbers against him,\u201d Soler said. \u201cAfter 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\u2019t miss like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Weiss understood why Soler was mad.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it didn\u2019t look good because of Soler\u2019s numbers against L\u00f3pey, and he hit a homer, he hit him. It didn\u2019t look good,\u201d Weiss said. \u201cL\u00f3pey\u2019s not throwing at him. I don\u2019t allow our pitchers to throw at people just because they can\u2019t get \u2019em out. Our job is to get \u2019em out. But I understand why Soler got angry. And he\u2019s a really mild-mannered guy. So, I think the switch flipped for him.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was no intent there. I just think that L\u00f3pey\u2019s just overthrowing, because he\u2019s had a hard time getting him out. But he\u2019s certainly not trying to hit him,\u201d Weiss added.<\/p>\n L\u00f3pez pitched 4 2\/3 innings, allowing three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, guy\u2019s got good numbers off L\u00f3pez, 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\u2019t over his head but it was head-high coming in,\u201d Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t blame Jorge one bit. He went out there and words were exchanged and Jorge went out,\u201d Suzuki added. \u201cYou get thrown at your head, you have a family, your career, you know, it\u2019s dangerous. I know it\u2019s part of the game. I know it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n