Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) talks to Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
Things got heated between the Braves and Dodgers on Monday night as Will Smith seemed to accuse Marcell Ozuna of catching him with his backswing on purpose.
Love was in the air at Truist Park as the Dodgers and Braves faced off, at least initially as fans in Atlanta gave Freddie Freeman an ovation upon his second return.
But that love really only extended between Freeman and the fans who used to cheer him on. As for the rest of the Braves and Dodgers lineup, things got pretty heated pretty quickly.
In the bottom of the fourth, tempers flared and the benches cleared after Marcell Ozuna caught Dodgers catcher Will Smith with his backswing.
Tempers flared between Braves and Dodgers after Marcell Ozuna hit Will Smith
Smith has reason to feel extra defensive about being struck in the head. He landed on the Injured List earlier this season because of a concussion. It’s also just not a great experience to take a bat to the helmet.
Ozuna pled his innocence while teammates pulled him back to the dugout. Meanwhile, both bullpens came out onto the field in anticipation of an escalation that never came.
At that point in the game, the Braves led 4-1. They took an early lead thanks to an RBI single from Sean Murphy and a three-run homer by Eddie Rosiario in the first inning. However, the Dodgers battled back with a J.D. Martinez home run in the second and RBI from Max Muncy and David Peralta in the top of the fourth.
In the next frame, Freeman put Los Angeles on top with a three-run homer to right making it 6-4. Atlanta responded right back with a run in the bottom of the fifth.
Of course, all eyes will be on Ozuna when he takes his next at-bats with Smith behind the plate.