One of the biggest stories for the week in Major League Baseball came on Tuesday as there was a bench clearing brawl between the Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves. As a result, Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler and Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez were given suspensions of seven games each according to the Associated Press on Wednesday.
The brawl took place in the fifth inning. Soler was up to bat when Lopez threw a high inside pitch. The baseball bounced off the backstop and allowed first baseman Nolan Schanuel to advance to second base. Soler then ran to the mound and started fighting with Lopez. The benches then cleared.
What was so stunning about the brawl was the length of time between the wild pitch and when the brawl started. Altercations normally happen immediately after the pitch has been thrown. However, here there was a 29 second delay.
Soler and Lopez were immediately ejected. The Angels went on to win 7-2 at the Angel Stadium of Anaheim in a game that lasted three hours and 21 minutes. Atlanta then won the Interleague series on Wednesday by a score of 8-2 to improve to eight wins and five losses on the season.
So far this season, Soler is batting .222 with three home runs and 11 runs batted in. The former Major League Baseball All-Star (2023 with the Miami Marlins) led the American League in home runs with 48 while with the Kansas City Royals in 2019. Like Soler, Lopez has been an All-Star in the past. He was honoured in 2024 while with the Braves. After his first 15 2/3 innings pitched in 2026, Lopez has been outstanding. He only has given up two earned runs for a spectacular earned run average of 1.15.
