Neto

HOUSTON — Zach Neto was five for six with his 21st homer and a career-high seven RBIs and the Angels scored their most runs in three years to rout the Houston Astros 18-3 on Thursday night.

The Angels (51-77) had a season-high 18 hits and scored their most runs since a 25-1 victory over Colorado on June 24, 2023.

Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez (4-5) gave up just two unearned runs across seven innings while striking out six.

Peter Lambert (8-7) entered as Houston’s most consistent starter but had his worst outing of the season, giving up eight hits and nine runs in 3⅔ innings.

Houston slipped to 64-64 and saw its two-game lead in the AL West drop to one as Texas beat Washington.

In a scary moment in the fifth, Angels left fielder Wade Meckler was hit in the head by a 90-mph sinker from reliever Bryan King. The pitch appeared to hit Meckler on the helmet over his right ear. He was on the ground near home plate for a few minutes and was attended by medical staff before walking to the dugout and exiting the game.

Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel left in the sixth with right side soreness.

Up next: Angels LHP Reid Detmers (4-8, 3.78 ERA) was set to start against Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore (7-9, 4.45) in Texas on Friday night. Astros RHP Hayden Wesneski (2-1, 5.16) was set to open a home series against Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (8-7, 3.53).

Manchester City are faced with an Enzo Fernandez premium, Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has no shortage of potential suitors, and Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes is offered a huge salary increase.

Manchester City will have to pay Chelsea more than £120m to land Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez if they try to complete a deal in the final two weeks of the transfer window. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Chelsea want close to £100m if they are to sell Portugal winger Pedro Neto, 26, this summer with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal linked with a move. (Mail – subscription required), external

Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham are all also interested in Neto, who joined Chelsea for £54m from Wolves in 2024. (Metro), external

Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Spain midfielder Marc Casado, 22, who Barcelona have put up for sale. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Despite Manchester United‘s reluctance to sell, Galatasaray have offered Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes £18.3m per season – double his current salary – to tempt him away from Old Trafford. (Telegraph – subscription required) , external

Liverpool are still keen to sign Paris St-Germain duo Bradley Barcola, 23, and Ibrahim Mbaye, 18, with a combined fee of £155m being mooted for the France winger and Senegal forward. (Teamtalk), external

Bayern Munich are confident of agreeing a new deal with England forward Harry Kane, 33, who is entering the final year of his contract. (Bild – in German), external

Como have made an offer to take Fiorentina and Italy forward Moise Kean, 26, on loan with an obligation to buy in a package worth £25m. (La Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Leeds have given Suriname striker Joel Piroe, 27, permission to travel to West Ham for a medical. (Sky Sports), external

AC Milan have agreed a £34m deal to sign Belgium winger Diego Moreira, 22, from Strasbourg. (Corriere dello Sport – in Italian), external

Sao Paulo and West Ham are among the clubs taking an interest in 39-year-old former England forward Jamie Vardy, who is a free agent. (Talksport), external

Nottingham Forest eye Tijjani Reijnders, Tottenham want Savinho and Nicolas Jackson, Real Madrid resume Vinicius Jr contract talks and Chelsea close in on Pep Chavarria.

Manchester City‘s Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, 28, has emerged as a £55m target for Nottingham Forest. (Mail, external)

United States striker Folarin Balogun, 25, has been offered to Tottenham via intermediaries, with the former Arsenal forward’s future at Monaco uncertain. (Sun, external)

Spurs are in contact with Manchester City about Brazil winger Savinho, 22, while they are also interested in Liverpool and Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo, 27, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s French attacking midfielder Jean-Matteo Bahoya, 21. (Athletic – subscription required, external)

If Savinho decides to join Tottenham, Manchester City will turn to Chelsea and Portugal winger Pedro Neto and have already made contact with the 26-year-old’s camp over a possible move. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Real Madrid are set to resume contract talks with Vinicius Jr’s representatives this week but the club are not prepared to increase their most recent offer to the 26-year-old Brazil winger, who is linked with Arsenal. (ESPN, external)

Chelsea are close to finalising a deal with Rayo Vallecano for 28-year-old Spanish left-back Pep Chavarria, who has agreed personal terms with the Premier League side. (Athletic – subscription required, external)

Tottenham are interested in Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson but are yet to make a formal approach for the 25-year-old Senegal international, who is valued at £65m by the Blues. (Mail, external)

Chelsea are eyeing a move for 26-year-old Porto and Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who was previously linked with Manchester United and has a 60m euro (£51m) release clause. (Mirror, external)

Mohamed Salah edging towards a move to Trabzonspor, Bayern Munich keen on Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko and Man City boss Enzo Maresca wants to work with Chelsea winger Pedro Neto again.

Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 34, is close to joining Turkish side Trabzonspor despite having verbally agreed to join Besiktas after leaving Liverpool this summer. (Foot Mercato), external

Bayern Munich remain interested in signing Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko, 23, as the Slovenia forward will allow England’s Harry Kane, 33, to play a deeper role in the future. (CF Bayern Insider), external

Aston Villa and England defender Ezri Konsa, 28, is interested in a move to Arsenal. (Caught Offside), external

Man City boss Enzo Maresca wants to work again with Chelsea winger Pedro Neto, with City exploring a move for the 26-year-old Portugal forward valued at £70m. (Sun), external

Chelsea and Tottenham have joined Newcastle in the race to sign Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini, 22, with the Magpies prepared to open with a £34m bid for the Italy defender valued at £42m. (Sun), external

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones is ready to push for a move to Inter Milan after a deal worth 25m euros (£21m) was rejected for the 25-year-old, but discussions remain ongoing over a package worth around £30m that would match the Reds’ valuation of the England international. (Teamtalk), external

Paris St-Germain have stepped up their pursuit of Ajax winger Mika Godts, who is valued at £52m, with Premier League sides Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham all being informed of the 21-year-old Belgium forward’s growing interest. (Teamtalk), external

Chelsea forward Joao Pedro, 24, is set to receive a new contract despite his current deal running until 2032, following previous interest from Barcelona in the Brazil international. (The Athletic), external

Manchester United are unlikely to sign Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye, 26, with Al-Hilal willing to pay the £75m that the Toffees want for the Senegal international. (Football Insider), external

Fulham are interested in making a move for Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott, 24, from Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, but face competition from Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Real Betis and Como. (Talksport), external

Benfica striker Franjo Ivanovic is close to joining Hull City after talks began over the terms of a deal that will likely see the 22-year-old Croatia forward join initially on loan. (Record), external