Zach attack: Plesac, Neto lead Angels past Brewers

ANAHEIM -- The Angels used a Zach attack to secure a 5-3 win in Monday’s series opener against the Brewers.

Amid a flurry of pregame moves, Zach Plesac was recalled by the Angels. Originally expected to fill a multi-inning role out of the bullpen, he instead stepped in for Monday’s projected starter, José Soriano, who was scratched roughly two and a half hours before first pitch due to lower abdominal discomfort.

Signed by the Angels to a one-year, $1 million deal on Jan. 6, Plesac started his season with Triple-A Salt Lake, pitching to a 5.42 ERA across 13 starts and 74 2/3 innings. Making his first MLB start since April 29, 2023, for the Guardians, Plesac allowed three runs in six innings and recorded his first win in the Majors since last April 15.

The 29-year-old began his day on a flight from Salt Lake City to California with the expectation that he’d slot into the bullpen in the short term. After Soriano was ruled out, Plesac’s day quickly shifted, as he had to adjust his mindset to starting Monday’s game for the Angels. Against a strong Brewers lineup with a taxed Angels 'pen -- the club had a bullpen game in San Francisco on Sunday -- Plesac did as well as anyone could’ve imagined given the circumstances.

“I needed to step up for these guys today. My focus was to go out there and give them as many innings as I could,” Plesac said. “[Logan] O’Hoppe was great behind the plate, and I really just followed his lead.”

Plesac only generated one strikeout and six whiffs on 42 swings, but he also walked only two batters and induced a lot of weak contact. The right-hander produced four popups, which he credited to a north-south approach.

“Hard up and slow down. [It was] really just about changing speeds,” Plesac said. “We didn’t want to throw too many of the same pitches in a row. We didn’t want to fall into a pattern and wanted to keep them guessing.”

Plesac wasn’t the only Zach with a big night. Zach Neto has been on some kind of tear over the past six weeks, which continued in Monday’s win. In the fourth inning, Neto crushed his 10th home run of the season -- a two-run homer that pushed the Angels' lead to 5-2. It was Neto’s third home run in his last six games, and his eighth since May 1.

Since the beginning of May, Neto is hitting .264/.311/.500 with eight home runs and nine doubles. After a rough start to the beginning of his season -- he had a .634 OPS through the end of April -- Neto has been one of the Angels' top bats for a month-plus. The No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 Draft, Neto has quickly established himself as one of the most important Angels players.

“It’s just my prep before the game. My cage work has looked pretty good. Just trying to keep that up and it’s helping me in the game,” Neto said. “Being nice and ready in the box, getting ready for the [starting] pitcher and whatever they have in the bullpen.”

It was a busy day for the Angels even before the first pitch was thrown. Prior to the game, left-hander José Suarez and infielder Cole Tucker were both designated for assignment. Along with Plesac being selected, Brandon Drury returned from the injured list after missing over a month with a left hamstring strain. Add in Soriano’s issue (no further update was provided after the game), and it was an eventful afternoon for the Angels.

The 26-year-old Suarez struggled to the tune of an 8.15 ERA in 35 1/3 innings this season after posting an 8.29 ERA in 33 2/3 innings last season. Suarez's 8.22 ERA dating back to the beginning of 2023 is the highest among 453 pitchers who've thrown at least 50 innings.

The former top prospect developed into a solid starter for the Angels from 2021-22 (3.86 ERA in 207 1/3 innings), but he couldn't replicate that success the last two years.

"It was the right move because he just wasn't performing," Angels manager Ron Washington said of Suarez. "We needed to get some people up here to perform."

Washington added that he hopes no other team claims Suarez and the Angels can keep him in the organization. The Angels' manager believes that "they can get him right." Suarez could remain in the organization if he clears waivers and accepts a demotion to the Minors. However, because Suarez has more than three years of service time, he has the option to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency in the event that no team claims him.