Reid Detmers was sent down to Triple-A for one start around two months ago. He quickly was called back up to the Majors, believing he’d made a discovery with his slider that should propel his development. The theory was correct, as Detmers has been rock solid for the Los Angeles Angels in the months since.
In his eight starts prior to Friday night against the Houston Astros, Detmers carried a 1.97 ERA and had allowed over two runs just one time. He reached the sixth inning in five of those eight starts, and only gave up two home runs, a stark difference from the early starts of his career.
But on Friday — facing a hugely talented Astros lineup — Detmers struggled. He was nearly flawless through two frames, only allowing an infield single to Jeremy Peña. But things started to fall apart in the third, with Chas McCormick hitting a leadoff double.
From there, Jose Altuve’s infield single put runners on the corners, then a Peña double and an Alex Bregman sacrifice fly made it 2-0.
In the fifth, Detmers walked Altuve and Bregman before allowing the bases to load up on a single from Kyle Tucker. Detmers was then removed and replaced by Jose Marte, who walked in two runs, bringing Detmers earned run total to four on the evening.
It tied the most runs Detmers has given up in a single outing since returning from Triple-A in July. But for the young Angels starter, he chalked it up to it being one of those nights for him, according to Jeff Fletcher of The O.C. Register:
“It was just one of those things,” Detmers said. “You feel good the whole time but something clicks and you just can’t get those outs. I don’t know. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Especially for young pitchers, these types of unexplainable outings can happen. The Astros are one of the best teams in baseball, and they have a knack for taking advantage of less experiences pitchers at the plate.
Detmers rightfully has high expectations for himself. However, at 23 years old, it’s unreasonable to assume that every start will be lights out. He is still firmly in the development stage of his career, and it’s clear that everyone within the Angels believes in his talent.
Generally, Detmers has been able to bounce back from starts like these. When he gave up four runs on 10 hits against the Detroit Tigers, he followed it up by shutting out the Toronto Blue Jays on only four hits over 5.1 innings.
Touki Toussaint impresses with scoreless relief outing
Touki Toussaint has had some incredible moments since joining the Angels earlier this season. However, it has been paired with significant inconsistency, leading him to be in and out of the Angels rotation.
He may have recently earned his way back in with a scoreless, five-inning relief outing against the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
