CINCINNATI — Angels manager Ron Washington decided to give Zach Neto a rest Saturday as the young shortstop continues to struggle at the plate, but it didn’t last long.
Washington, who said before Saturday’s game against the Reds that he wouldn’t hesitate to bring Neto off the bench in the right situation, had it happen on the first play of the game when Angels leadoff hitter Anthony Rendon injured his hamstring legging out an infield single.
Neto came in to run for Rendon and scored the Angels’ first run in a two-run first inning.
“If things go where I have to get him in the game today, he will be in the game,” Washington said. “But I just need him to relax a little bit. (He’s) just trying too hard. Because in his mind he knows he’s better, and because he doesn’t have a whole lot of experience. Sometimes when you don’t have a lot of experience and you know you’re better, you can do worse to yourself than good for yourself.”
Neto went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in Friday night’s 7-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, with the second one coming when he looked at a third strike with runners on second and third with two outs in a one-run game in the seventh inning.
The 23-year-old has just two three in his last 22 at-bats and is hitting .185 with a .264 on-base percentage.
“Just a day,” Washington said. “You’ve got the young kid out there grinding. He’s working his butt off offensively, and it’s not happening for him. I don’t want it to get in his head, so I’ll just give him a day to kick back.”
The positive part of Neto’s slow start is that he hasn’t allowed his issues with the bat follow him into the field.
And Washington made it clear it better not come to that.
“Defense is his signature,” he said. “He’s got to learn who he is offensively. Defensively, he knows what he is. And he better bring that every day.”
Then Washington repeated it for emphasis.
“Did you hear what I said?” he asked. “He better bring that every day. I didn’t say he needs to bring it every day. He better bring it.
“He’s gonna find himself offensively. He’s young,” Washington continued.
LEAGUE LEADERS
Taylor Ward entered Saturday’s with an American League-leading 21 RBIs. His career-long streak of six consecutive games with an RBI ended Thursday at Tampa Bay, and he failed to drive in a run Friday night in the 7-1 loss to Cincinnati.
But Ward’s 21 RBIs are the most by an Angels player through the first 20 games of a season since Don Baylor had a franchise-record 27 in 1979.
The only other Angels player to have more than Ward’s 21 through the first 20 games was Joel Rudi, who had 26 in 1977.
Mike Trout also entered the day as a league leader with eight home runs. Those eight homers are tied for the second most in franchise history through the first 20 games. The only other with more was Leon Wagner, who had nine in 1962.
Trout also had eight homers through 20 games in 2020, and Brian Downing did it in 1987.
Entering Saturday, Trout ranked second in the AL in slugging percentage at .628, and was tied for second with 49 total bases.
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ONE AND DONE
The 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Thursday and 7-1 loss at Cincinnati on Friday marked the first time since July the Angels have failed to score more than one run in back-to-back games, a span of 77 contests.
The last time it happened was July 28-29, when the Toronto Blue Jays beat them 4-1 and 6-1.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Jose Soriano, 0-2, 4.80 ERA) at Reds (RHP Frankie Montas, 2-3, 4.34 ERA), 10:40 a.m. PT Sunday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM