Angels and Co. Rally Past Minnesota
After a historic 12-2 win last night in Anaheim, Mike Trout and Zach Neto continued the offensive momentum en route to a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The Angels only managed four hits, but it was the quality of those hits that pushed the Angels over Minnesota. José Ureña made his first career start for the Angels, giving the Angels a much-needed low-scoring start to keep the game within reach. Overall, the gritty win may not be that significant in the broader context, but the Angels' determination to win games is refreshing and may be a promising sign for the future.
The Twins struck first as James Outman hit a solo home run in the third inning, but the Angels were able to get back the lead with Trout lining a single to left, bringing in Sebastián Rivero, and Neto capped off the third with a two-run home run to left. Neto’s homer in the bottom of the third was his 26th homer of the year and broke a 26 at-bat RBI drought for the young shortstop. 2025 Twins all-star, Byron Buxton, hit a game-tying two-run homer in the sixth. Trout had a decent day at the plate, snapping the tie with a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to bring in Bryce Teodosio, who led off the inning with a triple. Kenley Jansen earned his 27th save in the ninth and finished off the Twins bats in nine pitches, striking out two.
Trout has been on the hunt for his 400th career homer, still stuck at 398. Trout hit his last homer on August 6th, and it looked like he was slumping. Recently, however, Trout has been trending upward, putting the ball in play in just the right spots to provide the Angels with some support from the designated hitter spot. In his last 10 games, Trout is averaging a .440 OBP and an .808 OPS.
The Angels have improved to 69-77 on the year and have a demanding remaining schedule of games to end the season. The Angels head to Washington to play the Seattle Mariners in a four-game series that comes with serious Wild Card implications. Signs of recent play are promising, and the Angels have a chance to play spoiler against teams like Seattle, Milwaukee, and Houston. With the Angels needing to look ahead to 2026, finishing the year strong against postseason contenders can motivate what's to come. Experience is crucial for players like Neto and the young Teodosio, as well as for Trout, who had a less-than-stellar season after suffering several setbacks due to injuries.
