Tuesday's MLB: Angels' Detmers tosses no-hitter, Verlander almost no-hits Twins
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 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 the official scorer 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.
Otherwise, Detmers 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.
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 big-league 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.
It was the first time Detmers had gone even seven innings in a game. His previous career best was six 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.
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 two home runs for his 22nd multi-homer game of the season and drove in three. Anthony Rendon homered in his first major league at-bat as a left-handed hitter in the eighth when Phillips, usually an outfielder, took the mound in the blowout. Chad Wallach also homered, and the Angels won their third straight.
Verlander five outs from no-hitter
Minneapolis — After two frustrating years, Astros ace Justin Verlander was uncertain about his baseball future. The two-time Cy Young Award winner pitched just one game in 2020 and 2021 combined, missing all of last season following Tommy John surgery.
Verlander is back to his old self – just like that guy with all those no-hitters.
Verlander missed out on his fourth no-no by five outs but still faced the minimum through eight innings, and Houston beat the Minnesota Twins 5-0 Tuesday night for its eighth straight win.
“Having the game possibly yanked out from underneath you makes me appreciate being here, playing with my teammates, pitching well, all of that,” Verlander said.
Twins third baseman Gio Urshela singled to right field with one out in the eighth to end Verlander’s bid. The 39-year-old right-hander, in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, finished the inning by getting Royce Lewis to ground into a double play.
Verlander was vying to tie Sandy Koufax for second on the career no-hitter list. Nolan Ryan holds the record with seven.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been here many times before and had it happen. I’ve had a few heartbreaking ones in the ninth inning,” Verlander said. “This one I think it’s just one of those you appreciate that it was a good outing and gave us a chance to win, and we did that.”
Tuesday’s outing moved Verlander to 4-1 with a 1.55 ERA through six starts to continue his stellar start to the 2022 season.
“The guy’s a horse,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “When he pitches, the guys stay alert. He gets the ball quickly. He doesn’t mess around on the mound, so you keep the defense sharp when you do that.”
Verlander struck out five and walked two on 89 pitches. Blake Taylor pitched the ninth for Houston.
Baker said Verlander was on a 90-pitch limit but added they might have extended that had Verlander got through eight no-hit innings.
Verlander was perfect through four innings before allowing a leadoff walk to Jorge Polanco in the fifth. Verlander got Urshela to tap into a double play one pitch later to retire Polanco.
The right-hander walked Minnesota’s No. 9 hitter, Gilberto Celestino, in the sixth, but Celestino was later thrown out at second base by catcher Martín Maldonado – one of several solid defensive plays backing Verlander’s performance.
“The no-hitter was getting kind of deep in the game and he was able to make a great play, spin and throw the guy out at second trying to advance,” Verlander said of Maldonado. “Really, his job behind the plate was fantastic.”
Jeremy Peña drove in the first two runs for the Astros. Alex Bregman also had two RBIs, including a double to left in the fifth that drove in Jose Altuve.
Twins starter Joe Ryan (3-2) struggled to find the strike zone. The right-hander issued a walk in each of his five innings and allowed four runs.
More games
(At) N.Y. Yankees 6, Toronto 5: 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 New York 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.
George Springer launched a leadoff homer for Toronto, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth that helped the Blue Jays take a 5-3 lead.
No. 9 batter Jose Trevino and DJ LeMahieu drew consecutive one-out walks in the ninth from Jordan Romano (1-2) before Judge sent a hanging 1-2 slider 450 feet into the second deck in left field.
Wandy Peralta (1-0) pitched a hitless ninth for the win.
Boston 9, (at) Atlanta 4: Rafael Devers hit his first career grand slam and last-place Boston broke out for clean-shaven 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.
Christian Vázquez had a run-scoring single and Jackie Bradley Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk before Devers’ slam gave Boston a 6-0 lead.
Travis d’Arnaud hit a two-run homer off Garrett Whitlock, who allowed three runs on four hits and four walks in three innings. Tyler Danish (1-0) allowed one hit in two scoreless innings.
N.Y. Mets 4, (at) Washington 2: 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 Washington.
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.
Carrasco (3-1) gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings. He began the day as the only pitcher in the majors who had gone more than seven innings in at least two starts.
In the sixth, once Nationals starter Patrick Corbin had been replaced by new call-up Carl Edwards Jr. (0-1), New York broke through, showing why it is now 21-10.
(At) Chicago 4, Cleveland 1: Gavin Sheets homered in his second straight game, Tim Anderson had three hits and 2 RBIs, and Chicago 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.
The White Sox won their seventh of eight games, with the only blemish blowing a six-run lead in the ninth Monday night and losing in 11 innings.
Cal Quantrill (1-2) went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs and 10 hits.
Baltimore 5, (at) St. Louis 3: Cedric Mullins and Tyler Nevin each homered and Kyle Bradish struck out 11 over seven strong innings, leading Baltimore over St. Louis.
Harrison Bader hit an inside-the-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.
Bradish (1-1) pitched seven innings for his longest outing this season and his first career win. He gave up four hits, including the homer to Bader. Felix Bautista got the final out for his first career save.
Nevin gave Baltimore a 3-0 lead when he hit a one-out home run into the left field bullpen in the fourth, leading St. Louis to pull rookie pitcher Packy Naughton (0-1).
(At) Texas 6, Kansas City 4: Corey Seager snapped an 0-for-16 slump with two home runs, Martin Perez pitched 6 1/3 solid innings and Texas 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.
Joe Barlow worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save in as many opportunities.
Texas had three consecutive singles off Brad Keller (1-3) after Seager’s two-out homer in the first, with Kole Calhoun’s two-run hit making it 3-0.
Milwaukee 5, (at) Cincinnati 4: Josh Hader reached 500 career strikeouts, Luis Urías hit a tying home run and made a clutch catch, and Milwaukee stopped Cincinnati’s season-high, two-game winning streak.
Jace Peterson broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth with the first of his two doubles for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who ended a three-game losing streak.
Hader worked around a leadoff walk in a hitless ninth and became only the third pitcher with saves in his first 12 appearances of a season after Lee Smith in 1994 and José Mesa in 2005.
Wandy Peralta (2-1) allowed one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings with a season-high eight strikeouts and one walk. Hunter Greene (1-5) lost his fifth straight start since winning his major league debut at Atlanta on April 10.