San Diego, CA - July 4: San Diego Padres' Xander Bogaerts celebrates with Manny Machado after hitting a two-home run in the sixth inning off of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani at Petco Park on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Zach Neto’s two-run double in the seventh inning snapped a 1-1 tie and helped lift the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Los Angeles has won back-to-back games at home for the first time this season. The Angels are just 9-21 on their own field.
The Angels loaded the bases with no outs against Padres reliever Yuki Matsui (3-2) to begin the seventh. Enyel De Los Santos replaced Matsui and got the first out of the inning when Mickey Moniak grounded into a forceout, with Cole Tucker getting cut down at home.
Up stepped Neto, who hit a hanging slider over the head of left fielder Jurickson Profar to drive in Logan O’Hoppe and Jo Adell, putting the Angels up 3-1. Moniak scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.
San Diego threatened to come back in the eighth, as Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado began the inning with back-to-back singles off Angels reliever Luis Garcia. Garcia struck out the next two batters before Jake Cronenworth singled home a run, cutting the Padres’ deficit to 4-2.
Hunter Strickland replaced Garcia and got out of the inning, retiring Ha-Seong Kim on a popout.
Los Angeles closer Carlos Estevez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save. Matt Moore (2-2) got the win with an inning of hitless relief.
