The Braves had a dominant win over the Angels on Tuesday, but it was largely overshadowed by the ugly fist-fighting that happened in the fifth inning. Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and Angels’ DH Jorge Soler got physical as benches cleared, and Jorge got brutally tackled by the Braves manager Walt Weiss. It was an accident waiting to happen, as a few could have gotten injured, but fortunately, things didn’t escalate further. While the MLB world condemned an ugly on-field brawl, one of sports media’s loudest voices had a shocking reaction: He loved it
For ESPN host Stephen A. Smith, the brawl was a welcome sight for baseball!
“I loved it. Obviously, you don’t want anyone to get hurt, but those were some haymakers Soler was throwing, and obviously Lopez, I see him with the check left … I really don’t have a problem with it,” said Smith, per First Take on X.
The tussle first started in the first inning when Soler hit a homer off Lopez. Words were exchanged, and things got heated. It escalated further when Lopez hit Soler with a 96 mph fastball in the third inning. And finally, things got out of hand in the fifth inning.
An inside pitch off Lopez nearly hit Soler, which instigated him to charge at the mound, followed by throwing fists. As per Smith, if Lopez’s hit-by-pitch was intentional, then Soler did the right thing by charging at him.
“I loved it. … I really don’t have a problem with it.”
—@stephenasmith on the Braves-Angels brawl
pic.twitter.com/FMaewpmkTd
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 8, 2026
Well, for the fans, things surely do not work like that in MLB. We have game officials and umpires to handle the issue. A hit-by-pitch could be compensated with a walk and an ejection if it is deemed that the pitch was thrown at the batter intentionally. But getting physical dilutes the very true image of baseball: the gentleman’s game.
Smith didn’t stop here. “It’s nice for the Angels to do something relevant. I mean, they ain’t been in the postseason since 2014. They haven’t had a winning record since 2015… Do something to have us interested right now on this season; they’re on a fast track to pretty much nowhere yet again… Okay. So because of that, I’m like anytime you see fans out there having something to cheer about,” Smith added further.
The Angels are surely not a contending team, and considering their last few years’ stats, managing a .500 winning percentage will be a huge feat for them. But getting physical just to hype up the fans? Just when the benches got cleared during the fifth inning, the stands were all on their toes, but someone could’ve gotten injured.
Especially by how the Braves manager tackled Soler. Things could have gone from bad to worse. Hence, fans are calling out Smith for supporting the brawl and equating players getting physical with entertainment.
Stephen A. Smith gets called out by MLB fans
Fans are wondering how Smith could promote violence on the field.
“He has no clue what he is talking about..Mad Dog (Baseball Guy) is in full cringe for this dummy. Braves Fan,” one fan added. “These M- suppose to be the best and don’t have a clue w– they are talking about,” another added.
MLB teams are already reeling from a long list of injuries. Teams like the Blue Jays and Dodgers are calling up rookies from the minors to fill the absence due to injury. So, the fans wonder how violence or a brawl could be promoted that would increase the risk of injuries. Check the NFL-style tackle Soler took from Weiss, and it looks scary.
Soler already scored 2 homers at .220. An injury that occurred without a pitcher or throw involved would have cost the Angels hugely.
“How can you bury the lead of Braves Manager Walt Weiss taking down Jorge Soler with a picture-perfect form tackle that even Goldberg would appreciate??” One user asks.
That tackle by Weiss was a highlight reel of how Goldberg spears his rivals in a wrestling ring. However, a baseball diamond is not a wrestling ring, and neither any pitcher nor slugger needs to be like Goldberg. So, fans believe whether Smith was expecting a WrestleMania main event on Tuesday in Anaheim. Still, what would have happened if Weiss’ tackle had hit the wrong place and if Lopez’s punch had hit Soler?
“Lopez is the only one who landed a punch,” one fan added. While both Soler and Lopez were throwing punches, the footage shows that one punch from Lopez might have landed on Soler. Fortunately, it didn’t turn out to be dangerous, but the chances were high for things to go wrong. Still, Stephen A. Smith is cheering for the Brawl to make the game more intense.
“We do not need Stephen A. Smith’s opinion on everything. Especially baseball,” one user seems frustrated with Smith. Notably, Stephen A. Smith is better known as an NBA analyst for ESPN. So, fans wonder why he is commenting on baseball.
Nevertheless, fans calling out Stephen A. Smith proves that even they don’t approve of physicality in baseball.
