Angels News: Joe Maddon Praises Reid Detmers For Bouncing Back Against Dodgers
Reid Detmers, 2021 Season
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon had plenty of positive things to say from Reid Detmers’ debut last Sunday. Despite difficulties with home runs, there was a lot to like, especially considering the opponent being the Oakland Athletics. Well, things did not get any easier for Detmers in his second career start as he was tasked with the L.A. Dodgers.

The Dodgers — even when not a full strength — feature one of the most talented lineups in recent baseball history. They pounced early on Detmers, using speed and power to score five runs in two innings. Trailing 5-0, it would have been easy for the 22-year old rookie to lose his composure. Instead, he rattled off three scoreless innings.

In total, Detmers allowed five runs and seven hits with five strikeouts over five innings of work. Maddon credited him for bouncing back amid some unlucky circumstances, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:

“He bounced back,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “ He was a little bit unlucky in the beginning. I liked the way he came back and he got through five innings on almost 100 pitches. I thought he got better game-in-progress. So give him credit, he battled through that.”

“Getting out of that first inning, only allowing two, I thought was outstanding,” Maddon said. “There’s a lot to like there.”

Detmers also had some self-praise when comparing his first start to his second.

“Last week, I was a little bit nervous and was trying to overthrow every pitch,” Detmers said. “This time, I was more calm and felt good. I executed most of my pitches. I just got unlucky a couple of times and need to execute a little bit better and things will work out in my favor.”

The Angels infield defense certainly did not help Detmers against the Dodgers. Several bobbled baseballs and bad throws made life easier for the Dodgers and harder for the Angels pitcher. Still, getting through five innings can easily be seen as an accomplishment.

Detmers is now 0-2 with a 10.61 ERA this season. However, those numbers don’t reflect the type of pitcher he’s been in the past and the type of pitcher that everyone in the Angels organization knows he can be.

Young pitchers make solid impression vs. Dodgers

Prior to the start of the Freeway Series, Maddon said that he was excited to see his three young starters against a talented Dodgers team. He called it a glimpse into the future, and Patrick Sandoval, Jaime Barria, and Detmers certainly gave Maddon and the Angels fanbase enough to be excited about that future.

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