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Zach Neto credits a Pokemon card opening session with Mike Trout for breaking his hitting slump, culminating in home runs. Trout's unique approach provided the spark Neto needed.
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Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
Zach Neto found the strangest possible way out of a slump, and Mike Trout somehow called the entire thing before it happened.
The Los Angeles Angels shortstop had been searching for a spark during a rough stretch at the plate. Instead of more batting cage work or another mechanical adjustment, Trout offered a different kind of reset.
He brought out Pokemon cards, and by the end of the night, the Charizard luck had turned into real home runs.
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
As shared via MLB on X, Trout tried to help Neto loosen up before the game.
“Mike Trout opened Pokemon cards with Zach Neto before yesterday’s game to get his mind off his slump,” MLB revealed on Twitter.
“Neto pulled a Charizard card, and Trout said the box of cards would bring them home runs, then they both hit home runs,” the league added.
Neto had been stuck in a 0-for-23 slump before the Angels’ matchup against the Chicago White Sox.
Zach Neto broke his hitting slump by opening Pokemon cards with Mike Trout, which he credits for turning his luck around.
Mike Trout suggested the Pokemon card opening as a reset for Neto, which ultimately led to Neto hitting home runs.
Charizard is significant as it symbolizes the luck and positive change Neto experienced after the card opening, leading to his improved performance.
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Trout told him that if they pulled a Charizard, both of them would homer that night. Neto pulled the card, then later thanked Charizard after breaking through at the plate.
The pregame prediction somehow played out almost perfectly.
Trout hit a solo home run in the first inning, his 11th of the season and the 415th of his career, helping the Angels respond after Chicago took an early lead.
Neto first snapped his hitless streak with a single, then delivered the biggest swing of the night in the fifth inning with a go-ahead solo home run.
Jorge Soler also homered for Los Angeles, while Nolan Schanuel added an RBI double to score Trout and give the Angels enough separation.
The White Sox pushed back late, but Ryan Zeferjahn escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to seal a 4-3 Angels win.
For Neto, the box of Pokemon cards became more than a clubhouse distraction. It gave him a mental reset, a viral moment, and a slump-busting home run all in one night.
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