Zach Neto is at it again.
The Los Angeles Angels star drilled a deep leadoff home run on Monday night to kick off their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Anaheim. Neto hit the very first pitch of the night from Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The shot was his 18th home run of the year and his eighth leadoff homer of the season, which set a new Angels single-season record.
Brian Downing held the previous record back in 1987. Neither are close to the all-time record, however. Kyle Schwarber hit 15 last season with the Philadelphia Phillies to set the MLB single-season record. Rickey Henderson holds the all-time leadoff record with 81 in his career.
The home run was the 49th of Neto’s career as a shortstop, which is second in franchise history behind only Jim Fregosi. The 24-year-old entered the night holding a .266 batting average with 46 RBI this season, his third in the league.
The Angels ended up scoring two in the opening inning, thanks to an RBI single from Yoan Moncada.
The Angels entered Monday’s game, which kicked off a three-game series with the Dodgers, with a 56-62 record. That has them in fourth in the AL West.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, are clinging to a narrow lead in the NL West. They entered the contest with a 68-50 record having lost three of their past six, and hold just a two-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the division.
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