Angels vs Twins: Neto’s two-run blast and Trout’s late sac fly seal 4-3 win

Angels grab late lead after Buxton’s blast ties it

The Los Angeles Angels squeezed out a tight 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium, powered by Zach Neto’s two-run homer and Mike Trout’s steady production in two key spots. Trout lined an RBI single early, then lifted a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth after Bryce Teodosio ripped a triple off the top of the center-field wall. It was a grind-it-out game, and the home side found just enough at-bats to make the difference in the Angels vs Twins showdown.

Neto’s swing changed the tone in the third inning. With Trout on base, the shortstop turned on a pitch from Twins starter Taj Bradley and sent it out for his 26th homer of the season, pushing the Angels ahead 3-1. Trout’s single had already put Los Angeles on the board, and Neto did the rest by clearing the wall. One compact rally, two swings, three runs.

Minnesota did not fade. Byron Buxton erased the deficit in the sixth with a two-run shot—his 31st this year—to pull the game even at 3-3. Earlier, James Outman had driven a ball out and then later flashed the leather twice in center field, stealing extra bases with a pair of leaping grabs that kept the Twins within striking distance. For a while, it looked like those plays might tilt the late innings.

The Angels retook control in the eighth. Teodosio jumped on a pitch and crushed it high off the deepest part of the park, just over the center fielder’s head, and hustled into third. Trout followed with a high fly to the outfield—exactly what the situation asked for—to bring Teodosio home for a 4-3 lead. Clean execution, no hero ball needed.

Managerial moves mattered. Los Angeles leaned on a busy bullpen and found the right out at the right time. Robert Stephenson, the Angels’ fifth reliever of the night, recorded a single but crucial out and was in line when the offense pushed ahead. In the ninth, Kenley Jansen slammed the door with a spotless frame and two strikeouts, securing his 27th save of the season. For Minnesota, Cole Sands ended up with the loss after the go-ahead run crossed in the eighth.

Bradley’s final line tells a familiar story for a starter who mostly did his job: 6 1/3 innings, four hits, three runs, five strikeouts. He kept the Twins in it and avoided the big inning—except for the Neto swing. The damage came in a tight window, and yet it was enough to force Minnesota to play catch-up the rest of the night.

Missed chances sting Minnesota as LA eyes a strong finish

The Twins will replay this one on the flight out. They stranded 11 runners and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, a harsh combo in a one-run game. They created traffic, worked deep counts, and got the tying blast from Buxton, but they couldn’t land the knockout punch. That’s the kind of night that pushes a team to 64-82 and locks in a losing record for the first time since 2022.

The Angels, now 69-77, are trying to build a solid finish with a mix of veteran star power and young pop. Neto’s 26th homer underscores how much thump he’s brought to the middle infield, while Trout’s two RBIs and late sac fly show the value of steady, situational hitting. Add in Teodosio’s speed and feel for the big moment—a triple off the very top of the wall—and you’ve got the blueprint for a late-September win built on timing and execution.

The defense mattered on both sides. Outman’s two highlight catches robbed the Angels of extra bases and kept Minnesota in range. On the other side, Los Angeles handled the ball cleanly behind its rolling cast of relievers, turning routine plays into stress-free outs and keeping the game from spiraling when the Twins mounted threats.

Pitching-wise, the Angels didn’t ask any one arm to shoulder the load for long. They pieced it together, handed the eighth-inning pivot to Stephenson for a single key out, and then trusted Jansen to close. When a bullpen night runs that cleanly—limited walks, quick tempo, soft contact—it can look easy. It rarely is.

Beyond the box score, the game tracked like this: early jab from Minnesota, quick counter by the Angels with Trout and Neto, a heavy swing from Buxton to level it, and then a late push by Los Angeles sparked by a ball scorched to dead center. The final margin came from one disciplined at-bat: Trout lifting a pitch deep enough to score Teodosio. Simple baseball, perfectly timed.

What’s next matters for both clubs. After a Thursday off day, Minnesota hands the ball to Pablo López (5-4, 2.84 ERA) on Friday night against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks—exactly the kind of matchup that can reset a weary clubhouse if he spins a gem. The Angels head north first: José Soriano (10-10, 4.07 ERA) gets the call Thursday night in Seattle, where run prevention is at a premium and one or two swings can decide everything.

Key numbers that told the story:

• Angels went ahead for good on Trout’s sac fly in the eighth after Teodosio’s triple.
• Twins stranded 11 runners and finished 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
• Home runs: Neto (two-run), Buxton (two-run), Outman (solo).
• Save No. 27 for Jansen, who struck out two in a perfect ninth.
• Neto’s season total climbs to 26; Buxton’s to 31.

In a game decided by inches—the top of the wall here, a leaping glove there—the Angels found just enough. Minnesota generated chances but left them out there. On a tight September night, one sac fly made the difference.