Zach Neto went 3-for-3 with two homers, three runs, two walks and two RBIs while leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of the Freeway Series on Monday in Anaheim, Calif.
It was the third multi-homer game of Neto’s career.
Yoan Moncada had two hits and two RBIs and Bryce Teodosio doubled and singled for the Angels. The hosts improved to 4-0 against the Dodgers this year to clinch the season Freeway Series for the first time since 2019.
Angels starter Jose Soriano (8-9) allowed two hits over six shutout innings. He walked two and struck out six. Kenley Jansen fanned two during a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 22nd save.
Shohei Ohtani hit his 42nd home run, Max Muncy added a three-run blast and Mookie Betts and Will Smith each had two hits for the Dodgers, who had their National League West lead trimmed to one game over the San Diego Padres.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10-8), who entered the contest with a 1.63 ERA in 12 road starts this year, gave up a career-high six runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked five, tying his career high, and also hit a batter while striking out six.
Neto hit Yamamoto’s first pitch leading off the bottom of the first 402 feet into the bleachers in right-center to give the Angels a 1-0 lead. One out later, Yamamoto issued back-to-back walks to Mike Trout and Taylor Ward, and Moncada followed with an RBI single to right.
The Angels broke the game open with a four-run fifth, sending nine men to the plate in the process. Teodosio and Neto opened the inning with singles, and Nolan Schanuel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Trout then singled to drive in Teodosio and Neto.
One out later, Moncada increased the lead to 5-0 with an RBI single, and Gustavo Campero drove in another run with a groundout.
Neto extended the lead to 7-0 in the sixth with his 19th homer, a 397-foot drive to left-center off reliever Alexis Diaz.
The Dodgers cut the deficit to 7-4 in the eighth against reliever Shaun Anderson.
Ohtani hit his 100th career homer at Anaheim Stadium (and first there as Dodger) to make it 7-1. After singles by Betts and Smith, Muncy hit his 17th home run just inside the foul pole down the right field line. Campero stepped awkwardly against the bottom of the wall trying to make a catch on the play and had to be carted off with an apparent left ankle injury.
–Field Level Media
