delivered the primary walk-off hit of his profession within the tenth inning on Friday evening, nevertheless it was the shortstop’s improvisational play within the high of the inning that was most accountable for a over the Seattle Mariners.
Angels reliever walked Cole Younger to open the tenth, placing two on with no outs for Seattle leadoff man J.P. Crawford, who bunted a ball over the pinnacle of charging third baseman Kevin Newman.
Neto raced to his proper, staying a couple of steps forward of computerized runner Ben Williamson. He fielded the ball and flipped it together with his glove hand to Zeferjahn, who barely saved his foot on the third-base bag for a forceout.
Zeferjahn then obtained Julio Rodríguez, who hit solo homers within the first and sixth innings, to fly out and struck out main league residence run chief Cal Raleigh trying with a 99-mph fastball to protect a 2-2 tie.
“We knew he wished to get the bunt down, and once I noticed it go over Newman’s head, I used to be simply attempting to make a play,” Neto stated. “I knew I beat Williamson down the road, and it was only a matter of getting it out of my glove and within the path of third base.”
Newman stated he felt helpless when he noticed Crawford’s bunt sail over his head. He figured the Mariners had simply loaded the bases with no outs.
“That’s just like the final state of affairs in your thoughts,” Newman stated. “You’re able to cost and are available down after which to have a ball go up over your head … I imply, he put it in a extremely good spot. Thank God that Neto’s an athlete and Zef is an athlete, and so they have been capable of make that play like that.”
Newman noticed Neto charging towards the ball, however did he have any thought Zeferjahn went behind his again to cowl third?
“No clue,” Newman stated. “I noticed Zach charging, and I’m like, ’OK, Zach’s obtained the play in entrance of him, so there’s no level in me going to 3rd — I’ll simply let him take it. After which I see him get the ball and flip it to Zef, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh, we obtained the out.’ Superior.”
Zeferjahn, who improved to 6-3 with the win, stated the play modified the entire complexion of the inning.
“I used to be struggling a bit of bit, and that gave me a bit of little bit of confidence to go on the market and get the subsequent two guys,” Zeferjahn stated. “That’s an unbelievable play by Zach. I feel it gained us the sport.”
Logan O’Hoppe opened the underside of the tenth with a fly ball to deep middle that superior Newman, the automated runner, to 3rd. LaMonte Wade Jr. walked, and Luis Rengifo grounded right into a fielder’s alternative, Newman getting tagged out in a rundown between third and residential.
However Neto, with the gang chanting his identify, poked an opposite-field grounder off the glove of the diving Younger at second base and into proper subject to cap his bobblehead evening with a profitable RBI single.
“Yeah, it was fairly particular,” Neto stated. “I feel the baseball gods have been on our facet tonight.”
