ANAHEIM, Calif. -- After getting hit by a pitch in the third inning, Zach Neto still seemed shaken up in his following at-bat.
Neto was later replaced by Oswald Peraza in the top of the sixth inning and didn’t return to the game due to left wrist soreness.
After Kenley Jansen earlier today explained his injury which aided in last night’s loss - another player in pain isn’t what the Angels need. Especially Neto, who won AL Player of the Week and has a .267 batting average - the highest in the club.
Fortunately for the Angels, two miracles happened tonight:
They finally broke their nine-game losing streak to the Cincinnati Reds that originated in August 2019 with their 2-1 win Wednesday night in Anaheim.
And Neto’s X-rays came back negative.
Neto said tonight was the first time he wore a wrist guard and the ball hit him directly there, so he was thankful he had it on.
Neto said in postgame interviews that he came out of the game because he felt as though he couldn’t get the same movement in his wrist while hitting, however fielding was tolerable. He hopes to be back Friday and will try to do whatever he can to make sure he is OK by then.
Yusei Kikuchi pitched 7.0 innings, giving up seven hits and one run while striking out four. Tonight he moved into MLB’s fifth place for all-time strikeouts made by a Japanese-born player with 988 strikeouts in his career thus far.
“I look up to those people that were here before me,” Kikuchi said. “For myself, personally I just want to stay healthy and continue pitching in the rotation for as long as possible.”
Kikuchi said he was satisfied with his performance tonight and happy he was able to pitch through seven innings. He felt like things went according to plan, used his heater effectively and threw more change-ups.
And interim manager Ray Montgomery was satisfied too.
“He was more efficient,” Montgomery said. “He threw the ball in the strike zone the majority of the time. He threw it where he wanted it and he kept them (Cincinatti) off balance.”
Yoán Moncada’s ninth home run in the fourth inning tied the game 1-1 after Noelvi Marte’s RBI single brought Ke’Bryan Hayes home in the inning prior.
Although the Reds had seven hits, bringing their teammates home didn’t happen as often as they’d probably want.
Angels’ Bryce Teodosio doubled in the eighth inning and a wild pitch brought him to third base. Luis Rengifo’s RBI single gave the Angels their first lead of the night - which was all they needed to win.
Reid Detmers received the win tonight, pitching in the eighth inning and Luis Garcia had the save in the ninth.
The Angels move to 61-66 and have a day off before facing the Chicago Cubs Friday at Angel Stadium.