Angels vs. Braves
Jorge Soler Raises Slugging Percentage …
Brawls With Reynaldo Lopez
Published
Anaheim ain’t just theme parks and cute cartoon mice … the rough-and-tumble side came out at Angel Stadium when the L.A. Angels and Atlanta Braves slugged it out … and, we don’t just mean at the plate.
The fireworks kicked off in the bottom of the 5th inning of Tuesday night’s game … when Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez fired off a wild pitch that came close to Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler‘s head.
FULL BRAWL BETWEEN THE BRAVES AND THE ANGELS: pic.twitter.com/uUCVRXdOA2
@FlyingZebra30
Check it out … it doesn’t seem intentional — but, Soler started staring down Lopez — and the Braves pitcher stared right back until Soler jogged out to the mound for an unfriendly chat.
Teammates from both sides rushed the field … and, Braves manager Walt Weiss — who will turn 63 later this year — actually helped tackle the charging Soler.
Another angle captured Lopez using the baseball as a weapon … punching the side of Soler’s batting helmet with it to land a pretty crunching blow.
New angle of the Braves-Angels brawl shows Lopez winding up and using the baseball as brass knuckles😭 pic.twitter.com/UTMujQXGSD
@PolymarketSport
To be fair … Lopez drilled Soler in the 3rd, after the slugger took him yard in the 1st … so, it certainly seems like tension had been brewing since first pitch.
Soler later said, through a translator, “I asked [Lopez] if everything was OK and the answer he gave me, I didn’t like it. That’s why I went out there.” Lopez, also through a translator, called the situation a “shame” and insisted he didn’t mean to hit Soler at any point.
Lopez and Soler were both ejected from the game … but the Braves went on to win 7-2 … so, we’d say Lopez got the last laugh.
Angels are usually on their best behavior … the ballplayers at Angel Stadium … not so much!
