ARLINGTON, Texas — The Los Angeles Angels’ struggling left-hander Reid Detmers delivered an impressive performance on Wednesday night, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers.
Detmers, a 24-year-old former standout at Louisville, had been struggling in his previous six starts with zero wins. However, he showcased his potential by holding the Rangers hitless until Marcus Semien hit a one-out double in the eighth inning. Despite losing the no-hitter, Detmers led the Angels to a 2-0 shutout victory over the AL West leaders.
After the game, Detmers expressed relief and satisfaction in his performance, stating, “Pretty much everything kind of came together finally. And so, yeah, it feels good.”
Detmers had previously thrown a no-hitter as a rookie last season, and his recent struggles added pressure and stress. However, he showcased his resilience by making adjustments in between starts and bouncing back with an outstanding outing against the high-scoring Rangers.
Angels manager Phil Nevin praised Detmers’ performance, acknowledging the challenges the young left-hander had been facing. He said, “He’s gone through a lot for a young kid who’s going to be a big part of our future.”
Reynaldo Lopez and Carlos Estevez closed out the game for the Angels, securing their eighth shutout of the season. The Rangers, who entered the game with a remarkable team batting average, were held scoreless for the ninth time this year.
Detmers finished the game with five strikeouts and four walks, throwing 64 strikes among his 108 pitches. Despite reaching a high pitch count, Nevin stated that he was prepared to give Detmers every opportunity to complete another no-hitter. Nevin had relievers warming up in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, but Detmers proved effective enough to remain on the mound.
The lone run of the game came from Angels’ star Shohei Ohtani, who hit a 437-foot opposite-field home run in the first inning. Ohtani, who leads MLB with 42 home runs, also contributed with two infield singles.
On the opposing side, Rangers starter Jon Gray had a solid outing, striking out four and allowing one run over seven innings. However, the Rangers’ offense couldn’t overcome Detmers’ dominant performance.
With this victory, the Rangers’ five-series winning streak came to an end. They still maintain their lead in the AL West standings, but the Houston Astros are closing in, currently 2.5 games behind.
Looking ahead, the Angels will have an off day on Thursday before facing the Tampa Bay Rays at home, with left-hander Tyler Anderson taking the mound. The Rangers will start Andrew Heaney on Friday in the opener of a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The MLB season has seen four no-hitters this year, with the most recent one thrown by Philadelphia Phillies’ right-hander Michael Lorenzen last week. The no-hitter trend showcases the incredible pitching talent across the league.
Source: Associated Press (AP)