It just took about 2 weeks in the 2026 season for the first bench-clearing brawl in MLB. It escalated and ended brutally, as well. While the Braves’ pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and the Angels’ DH Jorge Soler exchanged throughout the game, it hit the boiling point in the 5th inning.
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Lopez’s fastball went too high for Soler. Routine hit-by-pitch scene, but Soler charged the mound, starting the brawl. After the game, Lopez broke the silence, taking a dig at his rival.
“It’s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,” Lopez reacted after the game. “On my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So, again, it’s just a shame.”
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The story unfolded in the first inning itself when Soler hit a homer off Lopez and ensured a 2-0 lead for the Angels. The two again faced off in the 5th inning, and Lopez hit Soler with a 96 mph fastball.
The high-and-inside wild pitch narrowly missed Soler’s head, tipping off catcher Jonah Heim. This made Soler charge Lopez at the mound, and it took no time before both started to throw punches.
CHAOS AT ANGEL STADIUM pic.twitter.com/yPbzghzanQ
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) April 8, 2026
The high fastball off Lopez might have been interpreted as a counter for the homer in the first inning, but Soler blamed the pitcher.
“I asked him if everything was OK, and the answer he gave me, I didn’t like it. That’s why I went out there.”
The issue apparently happened around Reynaldo Lopez’s intention to hit Soler.
While Lopez vehemently disagreed and called it a “shame” for blaming him, Soler puts it all on Lopez. But the worst part is that Soler was brutally tackled by the Braves manager, Walt Weiss.
The footage showed that while both the benches were trying to separate Lopez and Soler, Weiss pulled off an NFL-style tackle on Soler, causing both to fall to the ground.
Even though that could have been another boiling point for both teams, things didn’t escalate further. But after the game, Soler opened up about the tackle.
“We have a good relationship. I don’t think he tried to do anything against me. We’re friends. I think he was just trying to protect me.”
This is a developing story…
Written by
Edited by
Ahana Chatterjee