The Atlanta Braves pulled off their fourth series win of the season with a 13-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on April 12. They have yet to lose a series during the 2026 season, moving to 10-6.
The Braves are now set for another home series at Truist Park when they host the Miami Marlins in their first National League East division series of the year.
However, the series everyone is still talking about goes back to the one against the Los Angeles Angels, specifically the game on April 7 when a fight broke out between the two teams.
During a skirmish that started between Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and Angels hitter Jorge Soler, both benches cleared. Besides the fact it was an intense brawl, it was Braves manager Walt Weiss’ interaction that made the headlines when all was said and done.
Walt Weiss’ Viral Braves Brawl Moment Keeps Getting Better
Weiss, 62, didn’t appear to hesitate when the brawl began to escalate. In fact, he helped put a stop to it when he took down Soler while the Angels slugger and Lopez were still trying to go after one another.
“That’s a big man,” Weiss said. “I just felt I’ve got to get him off his feet because he’s going to hurt somebody. And so that was my instinct, just to get in there and get Jorge off his feet, because he was on a war path.”
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Soler didn’t seem upset by Weiss’ actions.
“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,” Soler told MLB.com.
The photo, where Weiss looked to be performing an NFL-style tackle on Soler, immediately went viral and even got the Atlanta Falcons’ attention, who posted on social media that they were signing him.
But beyond the viral reactions, it was the response inside the Braves clubhouse that may mean the most to Weiss.
Per 680 The Fan, Braves ace Chris Sale made sure to celebrate the moment.
“They turned this moment into a bottle of wine,” 680 The Fan posted. “After Walt Weiss dove in the middle of the brawl, Chris Sale printed the photo… slapped it on a bottle… and Reynaldo López presented it to him in front of the whole team. ‘Rousing ovation’ and all. That’s how you earn a clubhouse.”
It’s definitely a moment Braves fans won’t forget, especially in the first year of their new manager taking over for Brian Snitker. It also proves just how much of a clubhouse leader Sale is to this year’s Braves team.
Why Walt Weiss Is Quickly Winning Over Braves Players
Since the brawl, Weiss has been labeled a “different breed of manager” by his former Athletics teammate Dave Stewart, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
Weiss is an avid gym-goer and highly trained martial artist who has a black belt in taekwondo and is currently training in mixed martial arts. That will definitely help the Braves win some fights.
But when it comes to Weiss and his current role with the Braves, what truly matters is that he has earned their respect and admiration. And he clearly feels the same way about the organization.
“It’s just such a different scenario here,” Weiss said, compared to his four seasons with the Colorado Rockies. “Here, the GM picked me, and has been nothing but supportive. Alex is a pleasure to work for. He just has an unbelievable feel, man. An unbelievable feel for situations. A great ability to read the room, to read people. It’s almost uncanny.”
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