Angels rookie Detmers throws no-hitter against Tampa Bay
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Angels rookie Reid Detmers pitched the majors’ second no-hitter this season, cruising after he benefitted from a borderline error call in the seventh inning as Los Angeles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 12-0 on Tuesday night.
The 22-year-old left hander threw a career-high 108 pitches in his 11th big league start, striking out two and walking one. He completed the 12th no-hitter in franchise history when Yandy Diaz grounded out shortstop Andrew Velazquez to end the game.
“I just blacked out,” Detmers said.
“I don’t know.”
He got a crucial assist from official scorer Mel Franks in the seventh.
Brett Phillips reached with one out when first baseman Jared Walsh ranged to his right and bobbled Phillips’ grounder. The crowd of 39,313 at Angel Stadium cheered and Walsh clapped moments later when the videoboard showed the play was ruled an error.
“That was an error,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “No one would have felt worse than Jared.”
Otherwise, Detmers (2-1) hardly had any close calls. He retired his first 15 hitters before Taylor Walls drew a lead-off walk in the sixth. Third baseman Anthony Rendon then made a nice leap to snag Vidal Bruján’s line drive, and Kevin Kiermaier ground into a double play to end the inning.
Detmers made a nice defensive play in the fifth when he quickly snagged a grounder up the middle by Randy Arozarena.
“I don’t know if it has really sank in yet,” Detmers said. “It is something I have always dreamed of. I can’t even process it right now.”
The son of a former minor league pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, Detmers was the 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of the University
of Louisville and made his bigleague debut last year.
He came into the game with a 2-4 career mark and a 6.33 ERA. He was 1-1 with a 5.32 ERA in his first five starts this season.
The Rays simply couldn’t barrel up Detmers, who mixed a fastball averaging 92 mph with a looping curveball, a changeup and a slider.
It was the first time Detmers had gotten an out in the seventh inning or later since June 7, 2019, for Louisville against East Carolina at an NCAA Super Regional. His previous career high in the majors was six innings last season against Houston. He’d never thrown more than 97 pitches in a big league game, either.
The last Angels’ no-hitter was on July 12, 2019, when Taylor Cole and Félix Peña combined for one against the Seattle Mariners in the team’s first home game following the death of starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Detmers is the youngest Angel to throw a no-hitter and the first lefty since Clyde Wright on July 3, 1970 against Oakland.
Five New York Mets’ pitchers combined for this year’s first no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 29. There were a record nine no-hitters across the majors last season. The last by a rookie was Arizona’s Tyler Gilbert against San Diego on Aug. 14, 2021. It was Gilbert’s first start.
Mike Trout had his second multi-homer game of the season and drove in three for the Angels, who have won six of their last seven.
ASTROS 5, TWINS 0
In Minneapolis, Justin Verlander missed out on his fourth no-hitter by five outs but still faced the minimum through eight innings, and Houston beat the Twins for its eighth straight win.
Twins third baseman Gio Urshela singled to right field with one out in the eighth to end Verlander’s bid. The 39-year-old righthander, in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, finished the eighth by getting Royce Lewis to ground into a double play.
YANKEES 6, BLUE JAYS 5
In New York, Aaron Judge hit a mammoth three-run drive in the ninth inning for his first walk-off home run in the major leagues to give the Yankees a comeback victory over Toronto.
Giancarlo Stanton tied it with a modest three-run shot in the sixth, and the Yankees rallied for their 14th victory in 16 games after three Toronto ejections left the angry Blue Jays seeing red.
RED SOX 9, BRAVES 4
In Atlanta, Rafael Devers hit his first career grand slam and lastplace Boston broke out for cleanshaven manager Alex Cora and ended a five-game skid.
Devers’ 432-foot blast off Kyle Wright (3-2) hit the center-field scoreboard behind the Braves’ bullpen. Devers also had a double and a walk.
METS 4, NATIONALS 2
In Washington, a rat scurried through the outfield grass just before James McCann’s sacrifice fly drove in the go-ahead score during a three-run sixth inning, and Carlos Carrasco nearly got to the seventh again, helping New York beat the Nationals.
The episode brought to mind one from a year ago — May 8, 2021, to be exact — involving a Mets club on the way to a disappointing 77-85 finish: Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil got into an argument during a game after they combined to flub a grounder. Soon after, Mets players rushed into the tunnel near the dugout.
WHITE SOX 4, GUARDIANS 1
In Chicago, Gavin Sheets homered in his second straight game, Tim Anderson had three hits and 2 RBIs, and the White Sox shook off the previous night’s big collapse by beating Cleveland.
Lucas Giolito (2-1) went seven innings and gave up just the one run that came on Josh Naylor’s homer to win his second straight start. He allowed six hits, struck out five and walked one.
ORIOLES 5, CARDINALS 3
In St. Louis, Cedric Mullins and Tyler Nevin each homered and Kyle Bradish struck out 11 over seven strong innings, leading Baltimore over the Cardinals.
Harrison Bader hit an insidethe-park home run in the sixth — the first for St. Louis at the current Busch Stadium and first for the Cardinals at home since 1985.
RANGERS 6, ROYALS 4
In Arlington, Texas, Corey Seager snapped an 0-for-16 slump with two home runs, Martin Perez pitched 6⅓ solid innings and the Rangers opened a nine-game homestand with a win over Kansas City.
Perez (1-2) struck out six without a walk and was charged with four runs, but only one of those was earned.
BREWERS 5, REDS 4
In Cincinnati, Josh Hader reached 500 career strikeouts, Luis Urías hit a tying home run and made a clutch catch, and Milwaukee stopped the Reds’ season-high, two-game winning streak.
DODGERS 11, PIRATES 1
In Pittsburgh, Justin Turner hit three of Los Angeles’ eight doubles and finished with four hits and four RBIs in an 11-1 victory over the Pirates.
TIGERS 6, ATHLETICS 0, GAME 1; ATHLETICS 4, TIGERS 1, GAME 2
In Detroit, Tarik Skubal led Detroit to a win in the opener of a unique doubleheader caused by Major League Baseball’s lockout. With Oakland as the visiting team in the second game, 25-year-old Adrian Martinez pitched 5⅓ scoreless innings to win his major league debut.