The Los Angeles Angels likely will be in a better frame of mind when they play the opener of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night in Minneapolis.
The Angels boosted their spirits with a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night in Anaheim, Calif.
From there, the Angels were set to board a plane to Minnesota; Los Angeles star Mike Trout said the schedule is not ideal.
“I don’t know when we’re supposed to land, but it’s going to be early,” he said. “And we’ve got to play that night. And the worst part about it is, the next day (Saturday) is a day game.”
But the Angels’ flight likely was a happy one after Zach Neto hit a go-ahead homer to lead off the eighth inning on Thursday.
Neto was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle after going 0-for-8 in the first two games of the series, both Angels’ losses. He was activated from the injury list just a week ago, after undergoing right shoulder surgery in November.
“It’s a sigh of relief,” Neto said. “Being back, thinking I knew I had it, and getting humbled early in this series. Chasing pitches, doing something I wasn’t normally doing, especially during my rehab assignment. So just getting back to the basics, staying consistent with what I was doing, hitting my pitches, and I had a pretty good day.”
It was Neto’s second home run in six games. His game-winning blast came on a 1-2 sweeper by reliever Chase Shugart.
“That was awesome,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “He was very aggressive early in the count. He figured out what the guy was trying to do. And he trusted what he thought he saw, and he came away with three hits tonight, and that big one was the home run.”
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (0-2, 4.50 ERA) will start for the Angels on Friday. He is 1-3 with a 4.01 ERA in four career starts versus Minnesota.
The Twins lost 3-0 to the visiting Chicago White Sox in a seven-inning, weather-shortened game on Thursday. Minnesota managed only six hits and was for 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Carlos Correa is slumping at the plate, going hitless in his last 12 at-bats.
“I’m dealing with my swing … (it stinks) right now,” he said. “That’s the only thing I’m dealing with.”
Right-hander Pablo Lopez (1-1, 1.62 ERA) was activated from the 15-day injured list on Friday afternoon and will start in the series opener against the Angels.
Lopez was placed on the 15-day injured list April 11 with a right hamstring strain.
He threw 63 pitches in 4 2/3 innings in a rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday. He gave up one run on three hits and struck out four without walking a batter.
“I’m feeling good, but also I got to the point where I’m still working … on sequences, hitting my spots and seeing what the training staff tells me, but everything’s moving well, feeling natural, feeling normal,” Lopez said after the start.
Lopez is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four career starts against the Angels.
The Twins on Thursday placed utility man Willi Castro on the 10-day injured list with a strained oblique. They also recalled infielder Mickey Gasper from St. Paul and optioned right-handed pitcher David Festa to the Triple-A club.
