Angels turn Shohei's liner into 8th triple play in club history

ANAHEIM -- In his lifetime, Zach Neto had only ever seen a triple play through highlights on YouTube and TikTok.

That was until the top of the sixth inning of the Angel’s 7-6 win over the Dodgers in extras, when Shohei Ohtani hit a line drive up the middle — right into Neto’s glove.

From there, it was all instincts for the Halos’ shortstop as he turned the eighth triple play in franchise history on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.

In Neto’s book, it was more exciting for him personally than his two-home run performance the night before.

“I like hitting home runs,” he said. “But making a play like that, in a situation where you have one of the best hitters up to bat, first and second, no outs. To be able to make a play like that, I think it was pretty special.”

After reliever Brock Burke gave up back-to-back singles to open up the top of the sixth inning of a tie game, the Angels had to face Ohtani, who was also coming off a big swing on Monday for his 100th career home run at The Big A.

But the Angels got out of a jam -- and then some.

Miguel Rojas and Dalton Rushing, the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters for the Dodgers, each singled to set the table for leadoff man Ohtani. The three-time MVP drilled a line drive over Burke’s head, but Neto was waiting right behind for the catch as he stepped on second to double off Rojas and then fired to first baseman Nolan Schanuel for the tag on Rushing for the third out, ending the inning and preventing the Dodgers from breaking the tie.

Just like Burke had drawn it up.

“I definitely had that on the bingo card, and that was the pitch I was expecting to hit into a triple play,” he said jokingly. “… Thank God Neto was sitting there and I found a way not to make contact with the ball.

“Lucky, I guess, in a way.”

While Schanuel conceded that all triple plays inherently carry an element of luck, Neto, rather, credited the preparation of bench coach Ryan Goins in getting him lined up in the right spot and trusting that the ball will be hit there.

From there, Neto was able to see the whole field, where he noticed that Rojas had frozen on the liner.

"I need to catch this ball, be quick to second,” he thought to himself.

He had also kept an eye on first, where he saw Rushing hesitate before he made the throw to Schanuel.

“Just keep your swivel,” Neto said. “And try to make a play.”

Schanuel was also part of the Angels' last triple play, which happened to be his Major League debut on Aug. 18, 2023 against the Rays in St. Petersburg. In that sequence, Schanuel caught the second out at first and threw the ball to catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who tagged out Yandy Díaz in his attempt to score the go-ahead run.

The Angels have now turned two triple plays in the last three years after not having any since July 5, 1997, against Seattle.

Ohtani became the second reigning MVP in MLB history to hit into a triple play, joining Brooks Robinson.

It didn’t even settle in with Neto that he turned a triple play until the next half-inning. He’ll be putting that highlight on his social media watchlist.

“Especially with there only being a couple triple plays ever in the history of baseball,” Neto said. “Add my name.”