Angels vs Diamondbacks Recap: Neto homers but Arizona wins big

The Angels walked into Chase Field ready to fight. After losing 4-3 the night before, they needed a win. Zach Neto came up first and crushed Eduardo Rodriguez's changeup over center field for a 431-foot bomb. The ball flew so far the crowd went quiet. One-zero Angels, just like that. But Arizona woke up fast. In the second inning, Tommy Troy ripped a triple to center. Vargas scored. Then Corbin Carroll stepped up. Rodriguez threw an 81-mile-per-hour changeup right down the middle. Carroll connected and drove it to right field. That ball soared 378 feet. Three more runners came home. Suddenly it was 5-1 Diamondbacks. The Angels' early lead vanished before you could blink. Arizona's power was showing itself. This game was turning into a runaway.

The Diamondbacks kept the pressure on. Tommy Troy came back up in the third inning. He singled to center and Jordan Lawlar crossed the plate. Six to one. Arizona was punishing the Angels. Then in the fifth inning, things got worse for Los Angeles. Ketel Marte stepped to the plate with two outs. He whipped a double down the right field line. Two more runners scored. The scoreboard now read 8-1. Brett Kerry was throwing for the Angels, but he could not get anybody out. The Diamondbacks' bats were alive and hot. Every swing seemed to find grass. Eduardo Rodriguez, the Diamondbacks' pitcher, was dealing on the mound. He threw seven strong innings. Only one run came across in all that time. His defense had his back too. Arizona's lineup was too much for Los Angeles to handle.

By the end of the night, this game was out of reach. The Diamondbacks had built an 8-1 lead and held it. Rodriguez kept throwing strikes. He finished with five strikeouts and only one earned run allowed. The Angels' bats went quiet after Neto's early blast. Mike Trout walked twice but could not find a hit. Jo Adell struck out. Oswald Peraza struck out. The rest of the lineup could not get going either. Sam Aldegheri took the loss for Los Angeles. He gave up six runs in just three innings. The Diamondbacks improved to 37-36 with the win. Arizona's pitching staff stayed healthy and their lineup delivered power when it mattered. The Angels fell to 30-44 and dropped to 1.0 game back in their division. This loss stung, but the season was still long. They would get another chance tomorrow.