The spotlight shines once more on Zach Neto.
The Los Angeles Angels’ standout player launched a towering leadoff home run on Monday evening, igniting their 7-4 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Anaheim. Neto connected with the very first offering of the night from Dodgers’ pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The powerful hit marked his 18th home run of the year and his eighth leadoff homer of the season, establishing a fresh Angels single-season benchmark.
Brian Downing previously held the record dating back to 1987. However, neither approach the all-time record. Kyle Schwarber achieved 15 last season with the Philadelphia Phillies, setting the MLB single-season record. Rickey Henderson reigns supreme with 81 career leadoff home runs.
The home run was the 49th of Neto’s career while playing shortstop, second-most in team history behind only Jim Fregosi. The 24-year-old entered the contest boasting a .266 batting average with 46 RBI this season, his third in the major league.
The Angels ultimately tallied two runs in the initial inning, propelled by an RBI single from Yoan Moncada.
That strong beginning propelled the Angels to a three-run victory. They tacked on four runs in the fifth inning, with RBI singles from Mike Trout and Moncada followed by an RBI from Gustavo Campero. Neto blasted another home run in the sixth inning to further extend their advantage.
Yamamoto conceded a career-high six runs before being removed from the game. He issued five walks, matching his career-high, and his ERA rose to 2.84, its highest of the year. Shohei Ohtani delivered a solo home run in the eighth inning to finally put them on the scoreboard. It was his 42nd of the season, and it ignited a potential comeback. Max Muncy followed suit with a three-run home run of his own, narrowing the Angels’ lead to just three.
Campero suffered a significant fall while attempting to track down Muncy’s home run, collapsing awkwardly near the outfield wall with an apparent leg injury. Angels’ manager Ray Montgomery stated post-game that Campero’s left foot became lodged in the outfield wall and twisted severely upon his fall. The injury prompted an extended delay as the medical team stabilized his ankle and transported him off the field. Further details regarding the nature of his injury remain undisclosed.
The Angels improved to 57-62 with the victory on Monday night, commencing a three-game series against the Dodgers. They remain in fourth place in the AL West and are on track to miss the playoffs for an 11th consecutive season.
Conversely, the Dodgers are maintaining a slim lead in the NL West. They have now suffered defeats in four of their last seven games and fell to 68-51 with the loss on Monday. The San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-1 on Monday night, reducing the Dodgers’ lead in the division to just a single game.
