ANAHEIM -- It took just one pitch for Zach Neto to set a franchise record against the Dodgers on Monday night.
Neto crushed the first pitch of the night from right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto for a leadoff homer, giving him eight on the year to set the single-season club record previously set by Brian Downing in 1987. His leadoff blast helped set the tone for the offense and he wasn’t done, as he added a solo shot in the sixth to lead the Angels to a 7-4 win in front of a soldout crowd at Angel Stadium. It was the third career multihomer game for Neto, who went 3-for-3 with two walks.
“It's pretty special to get to start off the game with a bang like that and to be able to keep it going,” Neto said. “It's a pretty special win. It's definitely more of an edge when we play another team that we know we have to play our best game against. And it showed up today.”
It marked their fifth straight victory over the rival Dodgers, as the Angels also swept three games at Dodger Stadium from May 16-18 and won their final matchup last year. It’s their longest win streak in the Freeway Series since also winning five in a row from June 11-23, 2010. They lead the all-time series, 79-73.
“It was nice to get the Angels fans going,” Neto said. “We know what it’s like when we play the Dodgers. We’ve got to get the Angels fans out there, and what a way to do it with the first inning homer and just keeping that momentum on our side.”
Neto wasted little time getting the offense on track, as Yamamoto opened with a fastball on the outer half of the plate but Neto drove it the other way for his 18th homer of the year. It also was his 49th homer of his career, which moved him past Dick Schofield into second place on the club’s all-time home run list as a shortstop. He now trails only Jim Fregosi’s 111 blasts as a shortstop with the Angels.
Neto said he didn’t know he broke Downing’s club record until after the game, but was excited to hear about his achievement.
“I had no idea but it's definitely special,” Neto said. “Being able to set records myself, it's pretty cool. It's pretty cool to do that, especially with all the guys who have played before me. And just be able to still have almost one-third of the season left.”
Yamamoto said after the game that the leadoff homer affected him, as it got him off track early and he struggled to recover. Just two batters after Neto’s homer, Mike Trout and Taylor Ward both drew one-out walks before Yoán Moncada plated a run with an RBI single to give the Angels an early two-run lead.
“It kind of threw me off rhythm,” Yamamoto said via interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “As the game went on, I was trying to make a few adjustments but unfortunately I didn’t make them.”
Neto was also part of a four-run fifth inning, as Bryce Teodosio led off with a single and Neto followed with a single of his own. Nolan Schanuel was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Trout, who came through with a two-run single. Moncada added an RBI single and Gustavo Campero brought home a run on an RBI groundout.
Neto’s second blast came in the sixth on a 2-2 slider from reliever Alexis Díaz. It was Neto’s first multihomer game since going deep twice against the Astros against the Astros on Sept. 22, 2024.
Interim manager Ray Montgomery credited Neto’s early homer for setting the tone for the offense the rest of the night.
“The energy and the enthusiasm he brings is huge any time you're going against a pitcher like that where you can get some momentum," Montgomery said. “And he's proven that in that leadoff spot, he brings the danger and the presence of the home run. He's done it a lot, so it really sets the tone and gets everybody going.”
Neto’s homers proved to be plenty for right-hander Jose Soriano, who threw six scoreless innings to bounce back after a tough outing against the Rays. Soriano said the team feeds off Neto’s energy and the early run support helped him settle in.
“When you see your teammate bringing that kind of energy to a team, you want to do the best, too,” Soriano said through interpreter Manny Del Campo. “It brings more energy into the team, and it feels great.”