The Los Angeles Angels took a losing streak into last night's game against the A's, but Zach Neto changed that.
The Los Angeles Angels finally had a moment last night, and it came with the usual brand of Angels weirdness that we’ve come to expect from this team this season. The Angels went from zeros to heroes last night against the Athletics, getting no-hit into the ninth inning before Zach Neto provided the fireworks with a two-run homer.
The specific sequence had the Angels down 1-0 after reliever Ryan Zeferjahn gave up a run in the top of the inning, and A’s starter J.T. Ginn went into the inning with a no-hitter. That changed when Adam Frazier with a single to center, and Neto added a 413-ft. bomb to center that made the Angels walk-off winners.
But Neto wasn’t totally ebullient after this one. The Angels have been playing some horrible baseball, and they came into this one lugging a serious losing streak.
“That was a heavy one,” Neto said in a followup piece written by Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “Six-game losing streak. That one was big for us, not only me, but for the team; just to get it off our shoulders, and go to sleep good tonight. And be able to enjoy it, and come in tomorrow with a better attitude. We still trust each other.”
That trust won’t make up for a bad bullpen or an offense that’s gone comatose in the last couple of weeks, but it did put the A’s on the other side of the proverbial coin. It was also record-tying, as the Angels became just the third team since 1961 to come into the ninth inning on the wrong end of a no-no, then turn things around with a walk-off homer.
“I don't know if I've seen that ever,” said manager Kurt Suzuki. “He comes out for the ninth and didn't get an out. Two hitters, two runs, and game over. But he had good stuff all game, man.”
The important subtext of this one was that Angels starter Walbert Urena had the same level of stuff. The rookie right-hander pitched six innings of shutout ball as he gave up just four hits while striking out four, and there are times when it’s starting to look like the Angels are building a staff that could be more than competent.
Neto’s hitting was a big plus in this one as well. He’s had his struggles lately, but last night Suzuki popped him back into the leadoff spot and was rewarded for the move.
“It's awesome,” Neto said. “I feel like my swing's starting to come around a little bit. Today was a really good feeling, getting one against a tough pitcher. Ginn had his stuff working today, and he just so happened to leave one up and out over, and I took advantage of it.”
