The Los Angeles Angels capped off a thrilling 8-5 win over the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Monday, outpacing their division opponent in 11 innings.
Angels starter Reid Detmers took the mound for his 26th start of the season, and his third against the Mariners in 2023. The 24-year-old came into the game having danced his way to 6.2 innings of one-run ball in his last outing, allowing nine hits with little damage done.
The significance of that was his ability to work around traffic with rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe behind the plate. The 23-year-old backstop was again calling pitches on Monday, and again Detmers turned in a solid performance.
He gave the Angels seven strong innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out seven batters. The duo working together has been a happy marriage thus far, as they continue to build on one-another and what they do best, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“I think we’re laying the foundation down for the future now,” O’Hoppe said. “We’re taking it day by day and trying to win each game, but it’s definitely fun to be a part of.”
O’Hoppe has caught six of Detmers’ starts this season, and in those the lefty has posted a 3.74 ERA, .262 batting average allowed, with a combined .719 on-base plus slugging. The most important thing to remember is their strong finish to the year and how that projects moving forward.
The Angels firmly believe in O’Hoppe as their lead catcher, as evidenced by their unwavering support for him during his rehab process prior to returning to big league action.
Looking ahead, this is another checkmark for the Angels and how O’Hoppe’s rapport with Detmers will pay dividends.
Logan O’Hoppe has terrific start to Angels weekend series
Heading into their weekend set with the Guardians, O’Hoppe had struggled in his prior 15 games, batting .146 with a .508 on-base plus slugging in that stretch.
On Friday and Saturday, he went 4-for-8, clubbing two home runs with just one strikeout. O’Hoppe’s first inning homer on Saturday came against former Angels starter Lucas Giolito, propelling them to a 6-2 win.
The rookie discussed how it felt to see a glimpse of a breakout from his rough patch, highlighting that his confidence level has never wavered.
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