Benches clear in Anaheim after Zach Neto hit by pitch

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — There appears to be no love lost between Zach Neto and Hunter Brown.

Neto, the Los Angeles Angels’ shortstop, made that known when he was hit on his right wrist in the third inning of a 3-2 Houston Astros win Friday. Brown’s 95 mph sinker ran in, and Neto, who crowds the plate, couldn’t get out of the way.

The benches cleared, words were yelled, but there were no ejections.

Neto was particularly upset because it’s the second time Brown has hit him, dating back to a hit-by-pitch in a similar situation last season.

“You go back to the history that we have, it’s not the first time that he’s done it,” Neto said. “For him to go up and in like that again, it’s just enough is enough.”

Brown, predictably, saw it differently.

“Yeah, I mean, honestly, he almost swung,” the Astros starting pitcher said. “So I don’t know what he’s talking about. Guy stands right on top of the plate, doesn’t like when he gets hit, that’s his problem.”

The rest of the game was played without incident, though Angels slugger Mike Trout was hit by a pitch later in the game, as was infielder Luis Rengifo. Neto said he and Trout told their pitchers to stand down and that he doesn’t think the bad blood rises to the level of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, who had a bases-clearing incident the night prior.

“He throws hard. You don’t want to get hit,” said Neto, who made it clear he has respect for Brown. “I know he’s not trying to hit me, but it’s definitely frustrating.”

Angels rookie Christian Moore, who made his big-league debut exactly a week ago, was the first player in Brown’s face as the situation escalated.

“That’s our shortstop; he’s a leader on this team,” Moore said. “He needs me out there, and we need him on the field. I’m just defending my guy, that’s all it is.”

This is the second time Neto has been in the middle of a bases-clearing incident this season. Against the Detroit Tigers in May, Neto jawed with Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. That situation ended with Skubal apologizing to Neto and the two nodding to each other.

And Brown has a point. Neto has been hit a lot during his career because of where he stands in the box and his load-up to swing. He has been hit 36 times in just 296 big-league games.

“I’ve got to command the inside part of the plate, that’s part of my game,” Brown said. “And like I said, if you want to stand with your toes on the chalk, you can’t really get that upset when I’m throwing a pitch that you’re almost swinging at. So, I stand by what I do.”

(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

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