Zach Plesac threw six innings for the Angels in his first game with them, marking his return to major league action after more than a year. Zach Neto hit a two-run homer in the Angels’ 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.
Luis Guillorme contributed an RBI triple during the Angels’ three-run third inning, helped by two defensive mistakes from the Brewers. Nolan Schanuel added two hits and an RBI as the Angels secured their fourth victory in six games.
Plesac was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier in the day to replace José Suarez on the Angels’ roster. He was asked to start just hours before the game when José Soriano was unable to play due to abdominal pain.
Despite arriving only in the afternoon, Plesac quickly adjusted to the big-league environment.
“It was a significant moment,” Plesac said. “My goal was to step up for the team today. You can’t plan for these situations, but you have to be prepared.”
Plesac joined the Angels in January after spending five seasons with Cleveland. He hadn’t played in the majors since April 2023 but had made 13 starts for Triple-A Salt Lake this season before being called up.
Although his fastball didn’t reach more than 91 mph and he only recorded one strikeout, Plesac effectively managed Milwaukee’s lineup through contact pitching.
“He’s a starter, and luckily for us, today was his scheduled day,” Angels manager Ron Washington commented. “He delivered six quality innings against a tough team. It was an outstanding performance.”
Jake Bauers and Brice Turang, both from the Los Angeles area, hit home runs for the Brewers, who lead the NL Central and began a seven-game trip in California with this game.
Milwaukee had opportunities in the final innings against three Angels relievers, getting three runners into scoring position, but couldn’t capitalize. Carlos Estévez closed the game, earning his 13th save of the season.
“It wasn’t a great game for us,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy admitted. “We had numerous chances, but we didn’t perform well in any aspect—defense, pitching, offense. It’s disappointing not to convert those opportunities.”
Carlos Rodriguez took the loss for the Brewers, giving up five runs on five hits over nearly five innings in his second career start.
