Zach Neto belts two home runs as the Angels power past Shohei Ohtani’s 42nd blast, defeating the Dodgers 7-4.
The night at Dodger Stadium was set up to be all about Shohei Ohtani. The crowd buzzed with anticipation before the first pitch, knowing that every one of his plate appearances carried the possibility of another jaw-dropping moment. And Ohtani did not disappoint — delivering his 42nd home run of the season in trademark fashion, a towering blast that soared deep into the stands. The noise inside the stadium when the ball left his bat was electric, the type of roar that blends awe, disbelief, and pure excitement. Yet, despite Ohtani’s heroics, the story of the night ultimately belonged to Zach Neto and the Los Angeles Angels, who spoiled the Dodgers’ momentum with a powerful offensive performance that led to a 7-4 victory.
From the opening inning, it was clear that this game was going to have fireworks. Ohtani stepped to the plate in the first and wasted little time in making his presence felt. With a smooth, powerful swing, he sent the ball rocketing over the right-field wall, marking his 42nd homer of the year and further cementing his status as one of baseball’s most feared hitters. Fans in Dodgers blue leapt to their feet, chanting and cheering as if the game had already been decided. But the Angels, perhaps tired of seeing their former teammate dominate headlines, had other plans.
The Angels’ offensive response began almost immediately. In the top of the second, Zach Neto came to the plate with a calm, focused demeanor. Known for his ability to make solid contact and deliver in key moments, Neto saw a pitch he liked and unleashed a swing that sent the ball sailing over the left-field fence. His first home run of the night evened the score, quieting the Dodgers’ crowd just as quickly as Ohtani had ignited it. For the Angels, it was a reminder that while Ohtani’s power is unmatched, baseball is a team game — and they were there to compete.
The game continued as a back-and-forth battle. The Dodgers applied pressure with runners on base in the third, but the Angels’ defense held firm. Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers navigated through several challenging innings, working his way out of jams with a combination of well-placed fastballs and breaking pitches that kept Dodgers hitters off balance. Meanwhile, the Angels’ offense kept grinding, putting together quality at-bats and making Dodgers starter Gavin Stone work for every out.
Then came the moment that truly shifted the game’s momentum. In the top of the fifth, with the Angels leading by a narrow margin, Neto stepped up to the plate again. The Dodgers’ pitcher tried to challenge him inside, but Neto turned on the pitch with lightning-fast hands. The crack of the bat was loud and unmistakable — the kind of sound that hitters and fans alike recognize instantly. The ball carried deep into the night sky and landed well beyond the outfield wall for Neto’s second home run of the game. As he rounded the bases, his teammates poured out of the dugout, clapping and shouting encouragement. Neto’s two-homer performance wasn’t just about the power; it was about timing, leadership, and delivering exactly when his team needed him most.
By the sixth inning, the Angels had built a lead that they refused to relinquish. They capitalized on defensive miscues by the Dodgers and strung together a series of singles and doubles that padded their advantage. Brandon Drury chipped in with a key RBI hit, and Logan O’Hoppe worked a crucial walk that extended the inning and led to another run. The Angels were executing the fundamentals — hitting behind runners, drawing walks, and forcing the Dodgers’ pitching staff to throw more pitches than they wanted.
Ohtani, for his part, continued to give the Dodgers hope with each at-bat. His presence alone changes the way pitchers approach the game, and in the later innings, the Angels made the calculated decision to pitch around him. Rather than risk another momentum-shifting blast, they worked the edges of the strike zone and occasionally issued a walk. It was a strategy born out of respect for Ohtani’s talent and a recognition that one swing from him could erase their lead in an instant.
As the game entered the late innings, the Dodgers’ bullpen tried to hold the deficit, but the Angels’ bats stayed aggressive. Mickey Moniak laced a double into the gap, and Luis Rengifo added a sharp single that drove in another insurance run. By the time the eighth inning rolled around, the Angels held a comfortable lead, but they knew the game wasn’t over — not with the Dodgers’ potent offense capable of rallying in the blink of an eye.
The Dodgers made their push in the bottom of the eighth. A couple of well-timed hits and a sacrifice fly cut into the Angels’ lead, bringing the score to 7-4. The crowd came alive again, sensing a potential comeback. But Angels reliever Carlos Estévez entered the game and quickly dampened that hope. With runners on base and the tying run potentially looming, Estévez delivered high-pressure pitches with precision, recording the final outs of the inning without further damage.
In the ninth, the Angels handed the ball to closer Ben Joyce, whose blistering fastball often reaches triple digits. Joyce pounded the strike zone and challenged the Dodgers’ hitters, recording two quick outs before facing Ohtani one final time. The moment was cinematic — Ohtani against his former team, the Dodgers’ last real hope of extending the game. Joyce, however, stayed composed. After getting ahead in the count, he unleashed a fastball on the outside corner that Ohtani couldn’t quite handle, resulting in a fly ball to left field that ended the game.
The Angels celebrated on the field, with Neto receiving the game ball as a recognition of his two-home-run performance. For the Dodgers, it was a night of mixed emotions. Ohtani’s 42nd homer was yet another addition to his historic season, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win. For the Angels, the victory was a statement — proof that even against a powerhouse team like the Dodgers, they could rise to the occasion and deliver in the biggest moments.
Neto’s performance stood out not just for the raw numbers, but for the way it anchored the Angels’ offensive attack. His ability to adjust to different pitches, to remain calm under pressure, and to seize momentum when it mattered most showed why he’s becoming a cornerstone player for the team. The Angels’ pitching staff, too, deserves credit for limiting the Dodgers’ dangerous lineup, particularly in holding Ohtani to just one hit — albeit a massive one — and containing Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who both had quiet nights.
The win also highlighted the importance of resilience in baseball. The Angels could have folded after Ohtani’s early home run electrified the stadium and put the Dodgers ahead. Instead, they regrouped quickly, answered with runs of their own, and methodically built their lead. It was a blueprint for how to handle a game against a team stacked with star power: stay patient, take advantage of opportunities, and never let one big moment define the entire night.
For fans, it was a treat to witness a game that combined individual brilliance with team execution. Ohtani’s blast will live on in highlight reels, but Neto’s two-homer night and the Angels’ all-around performance showed the other side of baseball’s beauty — the way a team can rally together, overcome challenges, and come out on top against the odds. The scoreboard at the end read 7-4 in favor of the Angels, but the game itself offered so much more than numbers: drama, skill, and a reminder that on any given night, anyone can be the hero.
By the time the lights dimmed and fans began filing out of Dodger Stadium, there was a sense that this was more than just another regular-season game. It was a clash of narratives — Ohtani’s ongoing quest for history versus Neto’s breakout performance and the Angels’ determination to prove they could compete at the highest level. And on this night, it was the Angels who walked away with the satisfaction of having answered the challenge, leaving the Dodgers to regroup and look ahead to their next matchup.
