On a night when the Angels needed a spark, they got one from an unexpected source—Pokémon cards. Shortstop Zach Neto, mired in a prolonged slump, credited a recent trading card purchase with turning his luck around, and it showed in Tuesday's 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
The game didn't start smoothly for the Halos. Left-hander Sam Aldegheri, filling in for the injured Yusei Kikuchi, watched the first four batters of the game reach base, allowing two runs to cross the plate before he could record an out. A quick visit from pitching coach Mike Maddux proved pivotal.
"He just told me to attack the zone, stay calm, and make one pitch at a time," Aldegheri said.
The message worked. Aldegheri induced three straight flyouts to escape the first inning, then settled into a groove, tossing three scoreless frames after that. His final line: four innings, two runs, four hits, two walks, and no strikeouts—but he kept the team in the game.
"He commanded his fastball a lot better, which made his changeup more effective," said manager Kurt Suzuki. "When you establish the fastball, it keeps hitters off balance, and we saw a lot of weak contact toward the end."
With Kikuchi sidelined for three to four weeks due to shoulder inflammation, Aldegheri has made a strong case for another turn in the rotation. Right-hander Alek Manoah is also nearing a return from a rehab assignment, adding depth to the Angels' pitching staff.
Offensively, the Angels got the boost they needed from Neto, who snapped out of his funk in style. After weeks of struggling at the plate, he delivered key hits that helped the Angels rally and secure the win. The team's bats came alive with a few home runs, providing the necessary firepower to overcome the early deficit.
The victory keeps the Angels competitive in a tight division race, and with Aldegheri's composure and Neto's resurgence, there's plenty of reason for optimism in Anaheim. For fans, it's a reminder that sometimes a little luck—whether from a mound visit or a pack of trading cards—can make all the difference on the diamond.