Zach Neto wasted no time, launching the game’s first pitch for a home run, and the Los Angeles Angels rode strong pitching to a 4-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night. The win came with manager Ron Washington watching his team in person for the first time in over two months.
José Soriano (9-9), back from the paternity list, tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out six. Four relievers combined to finish off the Angels’ sixth shutout of the year.
Washington, who had not managed since June 19, revealed before the game that he underwent quadruple bypass surgery eight weeks ago. While he won’t return to the dugout this season, he spent time with the team pregame and watched from a booth above the field.
Jacob deGrom (10-6) continued his struggles for Texas, dropping to 0-4 in his last five starts since July 22. Pitching for the first time in 10 days after skipping a start due to shoulder fatigue, the two-time Cy Young winner went five innings, giving up two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts, two walks, and a hit batter.
The Angels padded their lead with Travis d’Arnaud’s RBI single in the fourth and Luis Rengifo’s run-scoring double in the sixth. Logan O’Hoppe added insurance in the ninth with his 19th home run.
Key Moment:
Texas had just swept Cleveland with back-to-back shutouts, but Neto immediately ended that streak by hammering deGrom’s first pitch out of the park. The blast was his ninth leadoff homer of the season, extending his Angels single-season record.
Key Stat:
Soriano faced the minimum through four innings, thanks to a pair of double plays after allowing leadoff singles in the third and fourth.
Up Next:
The series continues Tuesday with a battle of lefties: Yusei Kikuchi (6-8, 3.42 ERA) for the Angels against Texas’ Patrick Corbin (6-9, 4.61 ERA).
