Zach Neto has grand slam, six RBIs as Angels salvage doubleheader split with Yankees

NEW YORK —  Zach Neto hit his first grand slam in a six-run second inning against Yankees rookie Will Warren and drove in a career-high six runs as the Angels beat New York 8-2 for a doubleheader split Wednesday night.

In the first game, New York rookie Luis Gil battled command issues but pitched five scoreless innings of two-hit ball in a 5-2 victory. Neto hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning of the opener before having the best game of his career in the nightcap.

Warren was one strike away from escaping the second inning with just a 2-0 deficit, but Neto turned on a full-count sinker and lifted it to the back of the Angels’ bullpen in left field to make it 6-0.

Neto’s 412-foot drive gave him five homers in his last nine games and was the Angels’ fifth slam this season. He surpassed his career high of four RBIs set Saturday when the shortstop hit a two-run double in the fourth to give him six RBIs and his team an 8-1 lead.

“It was pretty cool to be here and I definitely had a couple of angels out there looking over me,” said Neto, whose second series in the majors also was at Yankee Stadium in April 2023.

“I was able to have a pretty good day today.”

Neto, a 2022 first-round pick, became the first opposing shortstop with six RBIs at Yankee Stadium. He also joined Alex Rodriguez (2003) as the second opposing shortstop with six RBIs against the Yankees.

“Well he must be a big-time player to do it in Yankee Stadium,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “All the players that may have done it here. Tonight, we needed everything he gave. We won that game 8-2 but at no time were we comfortable.”

“I think that’s memorable,” Neto said. “Being able to do that, I think it’s an honor.”

Neto joined Jim Fregosi (1964) and Freddie Patek (1980) as the third Angels shortstop with at least six RBIs in a game. His eight RBIs tied the team record for a doubleheader, also held by Lee Thomas (1961), Bubba Morton (1967) and Ron Jackson (1976).

“He had a really great game tonight, all the way around,” Washington said.

Mickey Moniak hit an RBI single and Nolan Schanuel drew a bases-loaded walk before Neto’s slam.

DJ LeMahieu hit an RBI single and Gleyber Torres had a sacrifice fly for the Yankees, who lost for the second time in 10 games. New York had been on a streak of 10 straight games with at least four runs, its longest since September 2019.

Aaron Judge singled in the first inning of the nightcap after reaching base four times in the opener. He had an RBI single and drew his 12th intentional walk in the eighth inning of the first game.

Angels starter Carson Fulmer gave up two runs and seven hits but threw 90 pitches in four innings. Hunter Strickland (3-1) pitched two innings and needed one pitch to retire Yankees slugger Juan Soto with two on to end the sixth.

Warren was called up to be New York’s 27th man and gave up eight runs and eight hits in 4-1/3 innings in his second start. He made his big-league debut last week in Philadelphia when Gerrit Cole was a late scratch because of fatigue.

The Angels said that Luis Rengifo underwent season-ending wrist surgery Tuesday and will be out for the season. Pitcher Chase Silseth had elbow surgery and also will miss the rest of the season.