Angels star Zach Neto credits legendary Pokemon card for big night

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Trying to catching ’em all led to Zach Neto nearly hitting ’em all out on Tuesday night.

The Angels shortstop told reporters following Los Angeles’ big 4-3 win over the White Sox that opening up some Pokemon cards before the game helped him break out of one of the worst hitting slumps of his life.

Mike Trout opened Pokémon cards with Zach Neto before yesterday’s game to get his mind off his slump

Neto pulled a Charizard card and Trout said the box of cards would bring them home runs …

Then they both hit home runs
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— MLB (@MLB) May 6, 2026

Neto explained, according to MLB.com, that Mike Trout approached him a few hours before first pitch and let him know he had a case of cards and “when we rip it, it’s going to have homers in it.”

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Zach Neto came into Tuesday night’s game against the White Sox in an 0-for-18 slump. Getty Images

Neto added in a postgame on-field interview that Trout actually guaranteed “that if we found a Charizard, I was going to hit a homer. And we did.”

And, sure enough, both Neto and Trout homered.

Trout’s blast came early, when he parked an Eric Fedde sweeper into the seats in the first inning. Neto’s dinger arrived four innings later, when he, too, planted a Fedde sweeper over the fences.

Zach Neto knew he got this one
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— MLB (@MLB) May 6, 2026

Neto, mired in a 0-for-18 rut prior to Tuesday’s tilt, ended the game 2-for-4, and profusely praised Trout and Pokemon afterward.

“Just the little things to get my head out of baseball a little bit,” he said of ripping packs with Los Angeles’ star outfielder. “Sometimes that’s what you need and I was able to come through.

“Thanks, Charizard.”

Trout, Neto and whichever other fictional characters they love will take the field next later Wednesday afternoon in their series finale vs. White Sox at Angel Stadium.

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