'Childhood dream' comes true as Neto homers in front of mom

ST. PETERSBURG -- With two outs in the eighth inning Tuesday night, Angels rookie shortstop Zach Neto crushed a Statcast-projected 416-foot game-tying solo home run into the left-field seats at Tropicana Field. An alert fan grabbed the baseball and rushed to the bullpen area, putting it in the hands of Neto’s mother, Maggie, who was watching her son play in the Majors for only the second time.

“Like a childhood dream,’’ Neto said.

What a story.

Almost.

This season, the Angels just can’t write many happy endings.

The Rays answered with a four-run bottom half to topple the Angels, 6-2, and send them to their sixth consecutive defeat.

With Shohei Ohtani back in California to undergo his season-ending right elbow surgery and Mike Trout still on the shelf with a fractured left hamate bone, the rest of the Angels battled the Rays, a postseason team that remains in play for the American League East title.

In keeping with the season’s script, the Rays found a way to win and the Angels found a way to lose.

“We come in and work hard and try to win every day,’’ Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “And tomorrow will be no different. We’ll come in and prepare just as if we were in the race with them. We owe it to this game. We owe it to the league and the teams that are competing.’’

Trailing 2-0 five pitches into the bottom of the first, the Angels battled back on Logan O’Hoppe’s solo homer in the fourth and Neto’s eighth-inning blast.

Then it came undone.

Against Angels reliever Aaron Loup in the eighth, the Rays loaded the bases with one out. Loup went 0-2 on second baseman Osleivis Basabe, who then stroked a two-run double over the head of center fielder Brett Phillips. Catcher René Pinto, the ninth-place batter, followed with a two-run single.

“What you can get done every day is a chance to win the game,’’ O’Hoppe said. “I know they may not count and we’re out of the race, but that doesn’t matter to me. We’re here to win, and no matter what, that’s what we’re playing for.’’

The Angels were ambushed in the first. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval allowed a leadoff double to Yandy Díaz, who raced to third on a fielding error by Phillips. Then Randy Arozarena delivered a two-run homer on Sandoval’s fifth pitch.

“Definitely [they were] mistakes,’’ Sandoval said. “I definitely missed my spots and didn’t have the [velocity] to make up for the lack of command.’’

Sandoval settled down to fan seven over five innings and allow no more runs. He was removed after his pitch count hit 100 (66 for strikes).

The Rays couldn’t tack on, and Neto’s homer provided some hope -- brief hope, as it turned out.

“It was definitely a fun moment running around the bases,’’ Neto said.

"I love sharing the locker room with that guy [Neto] and hanging out with him off the field,’’ O’Hoppe said. “I'm really hoping to be playing with him for quite a while. It's pretty impressive what he's doing. You know he wants to win.’’

It didn’t happen Tuesday night.

Once again, the Angels’ story had an unsatisfying ending.