Angels 9, Rangers 6: Neto Homers Twice as Meckler Goes Deep in Anaheim Debut

The lead

May 22, 2026 - Anaheim - Zach Neto homered twice, Wade Meckler and Oswald Peraza also went deep, and the Los Angeles Angels pulled away to beat the Texas Rangers 9-6 on Friday night, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports.

Neto's leadoff homer on Jacob deGrom's first pitch—his 12th career leadoff shot—started a four-run first. Meckler, an Anaheim-area product making his Angels debut, lined a first-pitch fastball for a three-run homer after Mike Trout and Jorge Soler walked.

How the game turned

Logan O'Hoppe's two-out, two-run single made it 6-0 in the third. Texas chipped back: Brandon Nimmo homered, Evan Carter tripled home two runs in the fourth, and Justin Foscue's RBI single pulled the Rangers within 6-4 in the sixth.

Peraza's one-out homer in the seventh pushed the lead to 7-5, and he later made a diving flip to Neto at second to end the top of the eighth with two on. Neto's leadoff shot in the eighth, Trout's double, and Nolan Schanuel's RBI single made it 9-5 before Danny Jansen's solo homer in the ninth.

Pitching and matchup notes

Grayson Rodriguez (1-1) allowed four runs on seven hits in 5⅔ innings with five strikeouts—his first win since July 31, 2024. DeGrom (3-4) bore the early damage; Meckler also made a sliding catch at the left-field wall to rob Nimmo in the first.

AthX Engine graded the Angels at 15 team FP with Neto leading hitters at 13 hitting FP—Friday's top bat on the full slate.

Bats that changed the board

Four homers and a 13 FP night from Neto gave Anaheim separation without Trout going deep. Meckler's debut homer and defensive play added local flavor to a game the Angels controlled after the opening burst.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

Two-homer shortstops plus multi-run debuts are how AthX Engine lands 15 team FP even when the starter allows four runs. Daily scoring remains independent of dynamic pricing.

What comes next

The Angels host Texas again Saturday at Angel Stadium; the Rangers counter with their next listed starter per AP's probables.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB gameday wrap, CBS Sports recap, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*