Zach Neto hits first career grand slam, knocks in 6 as Angels beat Yankees 8-2 to split doubleheader

NEW YORK (AP) — Zach Neto hit his first career grand slam in a six-run second inning off rookie Will Warren and drove in a career-high six runs as the Los Angeles Angels beat the New York Yankees 8-2 for a doubleheader split on Wednesday night.

In the first game, New York rookie Luis Gil battled command issues but pitched five scoreless innings of two-hit ball in a 5-2 victory. Neto hit a two-run homer in the seventh of the opener before the best game of his career in the nightcap.

Warren was one strike away from escaping the second with just a 2-0 deficit, but Neto turned on a full-count sinker and lifted it to the back of the Angels’ bullpen in left field to make it 6-0.

Neto’s 412-foot drive gave him five homers in his last nine games and was Los Angeles’ fifth grand slam this season.

Neto surpassed his career high of four RBIs set in Saturday’s 5-4 win over the New York Mets when the shortstop hit a two-run double in the fourth to give him six RBIs and his team an 8-1 lead.

“I think it was pretty cool to be here and I definitely had a couple of angels out there looking over me,” said Neto, whose second career series in the majors was at Yankee Stadium April 18-20, 2023.

“I was able to have a pretty good day today.”

Neto, a 2022 first-round pick, became the first opposing shortstop with six RBIs at any version of Yankee Stadium. He also joined Alex Rodriguez (2003) as the second opposing shortstop with six RBIs against the Yankees.

“Well he must be a big-time player to do it in Yankee Stadium," Angels manager Ron Washington said. "All the players that may have done it here. Tonight, we needed everything he gave. We won that game 8-2 but at no time were we comfortable.”

“I think that’s memorable," Neto said. “Being able to do that I think it’s an honor.”

Neto joined Jim Fregosi (1964) and Freddie Patek (1980) as the third Angels shortstop with at least six RBIs. His eight RBIs tied the team record for a doubleheader, also held by Lee Thomas (1961), Bubba Morton (1967) and Ron Jackson (1976).

“He had a really great game tonight, all the way around,” Washington said.

Mickey Moniak hit an RBI single and Nolan Schanuel drew a bases-loaded walk before Neto’s grand slam.

DJ LeMahieu hit an RBI single and Gleyber Torres lifted a sacrifice fly for the Yankees, who lost for the second time in 10 games. New York saw a streak of 10 straight games with at least four runs snapped, its longest since September 2019.

Aaron Judge singled in the first inning of the nightcap after reaching four times in the opener. He had an RBI single and drew his 12th intentional walk of the season in the eighth inning of the first game.

Angels starter Carson Fulmer allowed two runs and seven hits but threw 90 pitches in four innings. Hunter Strickland (3-1) pitched two innings and needed one pitch to retire Juan Soto with two on to end the sixth.

Warren was called up to be New York’s 27th man and allowed eight runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings in his second career start. He made his big-league debut last week in Philadelphia when Gerrit Cole was a late scratch due to fatigue.

“Just falling behind in the count and a couple of unlucky hits to start it and made a mistake to Neto, paid for it,” Warren said.

WEB GEM

In the fourth inning of the opener, Neto made an over the shoulder catch to rob Oswaldo Cabrera of a hit. Cabrera hit a soft popup that carried into center field and Neto completed the off-balance play while falling to the ground.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: INF Luis Rengifo (right wrist inflammation) underwent season-ending wrist surgery on Tuesday and is expected to be ready for spring training. 3B Anthony Rendon did not start the second game after reaching three times in the opener following a brief injured list stint due to back tightness.

UP NEXT:

Los Angeles LHP Tyler Anderson (8-10, 3.05 ERA) opposes New York LHP Nestor Cortes (5-9, 4.16) on Thursday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Angels' Charles Leblanc, left, and Michael Stefanic, center, celebrate after scoring on a double hit by Zach Neto as Logan O'Hoppe, right, prepares to bat during the fourth inning of the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Los Angeles Angels' Jo Adell, left, and Zach Neto, right, celebrate after Neto hit a grand slam leading to Adell, Mickey Moniak, and Nolan Schanuel to score during the second inning of the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto, right, celebrates with third base coach Eric Young Sr., left, after Neto hit a two-run home run leading Nolan Schanuel to score during the seventh inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe runs back to the dugout after popping out to Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Los Angeles Angels' José Marte pitches during the fifth inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Los Angeles Angels' Anthony Rendon stands on first base during the fourth inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. covers his face with his glove as he smiles while talking to teammates during the fourth inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Yankees' Luis Gil pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Yankees' Luis Gil pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Russia’s Federal Security Service on Friday accused six British diplomats of spying and said a decision has been made to withdraw their accreditation.

Russian state TV quoted an official from the security service known as the FSB as saying that they will be expelled. The expulsions come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Washington for talks with President Joe Biden that will include Ukraine’s request to use Western-supplied weapons against targets inside Russia.

Starmer said on his way to the U.S. that Britain does not “seek any conflict with Russia.” “Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia could end this conflict straight away,” he told reporters.

“Ukraine has the right to self-defense and we’ve obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine’s right to self-defense — we’re providing training capability, as you know. But we don’t seek any conflict with Russia — that’s not our intention in the slightest,” he said.

The FSB said it received documents indicating that the diplomats were sent to Russia by a division of the U.K. Foreign Office “whose main task is to inflict a strategic defeat on our country,” and that they were involved in “intelligence-gathering and subversive activities.”

Based on these documents and “in response to numerous unfriendly steps by London,” the Russian Foreign Ministry withdrew the accreditation of the diplomats, the FSB said, without identifying them. It warned that if other diplomats are found to be carrying out “similar actions,” the agency “will demand early termination of their missions” to Russia.

Russian state TV said in a report that the six diplomats had met with independent media and rights groups that have been declared “foreign agents” — a label the Russian authorities have actively used against organizations and individuals critical of the Kremlin.

The British Embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. There was no immediate comment from Britain's Foreign Office.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in an online statement that “We fully agree with the assessments of the activities of the British so-called diplomats expressed by the Russian FSB. The British Embassy has gone far beyond the limits outlined by the Vienna Conventions." She said the diplomats were carrying out “subversive actions aimed at causing harm to our people.”

Expulsions of diplomats — both Western diplomats working in Russia and Russian diplomats working in Western countries — have become increasingly common since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian news outlet RBC counted last year that Western countries and Japan expelled a total 670 Russian diplomats between the beginning of 2022 and October 2023, while Moscow expelled 346 diplomats in response. According to RBC, it was more than in the previous 20 years combined.

In May the U.K. expelled Russia’s defense attaché in London, alleging he was an undeclared intelligence officer, and closed several Russian diplomatic properties in Britain that it said were being used for spying.

FILE - The British Embassy building, center, with the Russian Foreign Ministry building, second right, in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

FILE - Birds fly with the British Embassy building at center in the background in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)