Anaheim, CA. — The Atlanta Braves powered past the Los Angeles Angels 7–2 on Tuesday night in a game highlighted by home runs, strong pitching—and a heated fifth-inning brawl.
Ozzie Albies provided an early spark with his third homer of the season, while Atlanta’s offense delivered contributions throughout the lineup, with every starter recording at least one hit. Eli White drove in two runs, and Matt Olson crossed the plate twice in the win.
The most dramatic moment came in the fifth inning when tensions boiled over between Braves starter Reynaldo López and Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler. After a high-and-inside pitch, the two exchanged words before Soler charged the mound. López met him halfway, and the confrontation quickly escalated into a bench-clearing fight, resulting in López’s ejection after he struck Soler during the altercation.
Before the incident, López had been effective on the mound, striking out seven over 4 2/3 innings. Soler, meanwhile, made his presence felt early with a first-inning home run and had also been hit by a pitch earlier in the game.
Atlanta took control with a steady offensive push. Olson ignited the scoring in the second with a leadoff double and later came around to score on White’s extra-base hit. In the fourth, Austin Riley delivered a key RBI single to even the game before White added a sacrifice fly to give the Braves the lead. Jonah Heim chipped in with an RBI single—his first hit with Atlanta—to extend the advantage.
Out of the bullpen, Raisel Iglesias secured the game with a strong outing, striking out three over 1 2/3 innings to earn his second save. Tyler Kinley picked up the win in relief.
For Los Angeles, Yusei Kikuchi allowed four runs over five innings despite striking out eight. Mike Trout returned to the lineup after a recent injury scare, finishing 1-for-5 with a run scored.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Atlanta, while the Angels saw their three-game winning run come to an end.
Los Angeles will wrap up its homestand Wednesday with Reid Detmers set to start, while Atlanta is expected to counter with Grant Holmes.
