ANAHEIM, Calif. -- After the Los Angeles Angels dropped the series opener to the Kansas City Royals on Friday, the outlook for Saturday was different with Reid Detmers taking the mound.
Detmers has been one of the Angels’ more productive arms this season, even if his win-loss record has not reflected it. Entering Saturday’s start, he carried a 3-8 record with a 4.00 ERA.
Before the game, the Angels also made a flurry of roster moves. Michael Fulmer, who was claimed by the Angels earlier in the week, was called up for his first appearance in the big leagues during the 2026 season. Last season, Fulmer split time between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, seeing limited action while pitching in just three games and 5.2 innings.
The Angels also optioned Sammy Peralta to Triple-A Salt Lake, while Sebastian Rivero was placed on the 60-day Injured List.
Once the game began, however, the focus quickly shifted toward Detmers and his dominant performance.
Detmers opened the game with tremendous efficiency, striking out three batters within the first two innings. His command was sharp as he consistently attacked the strike zone, and that success continued into the third inning when he struck out the side.
His fastball was particularly effective early. Through the first three innings, three of his six strikeouts came on the pitch, allowing Detmers to consistently get ahead of Kansas City hitters.
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki praised Detmers’ performance after the game, pointing to the left-hander’s ability to control the game from start to finish.
“That’s what Reid does,” Suzuki said. “He pitched like that tonight and just in control the whole time, really never any nervous at-bats.”
While Detmers was dealing, the Angels’ offense had difficulty generating much against Royals starter Randy Dobnak. Dobnak struck out six batters over 5.2 innings, making it difficult for the Angels to string together much offense.
It quickly became a pitcher’s matchup, with the biggest question being which offense would finally break through.
Detmers continued to win that battle as the game progressed. He entered the seventh inning with only 75 pitches and continued to work efficiently while keeping the Royals off balance.
His slider became particularly effective as the game went on, ultimately accounting for six of his 11 strikeouts.
Detmers also struck out the side in the seventh, matching the feat he accomplished earlier in the game. By that point, he had established complete control over the matchup.
Despite his dominance, the Angels still needed to find a way to give him some run support.
That finally came in the bottom of the eighth.
Wade Meckler opened the inning by drawing a walk before Jose Siri entered as a pinch-runner. Siri then stole second, putting himself in position to advance on an RBI single from Nolan Schanuel.
Schanuel’s hit brought home the game’s first run and finally gave the Angels a 1-0 lead late in the contest.
After the game, Schanuel credited Detmers for the performance that put the Angels in position to win.
“He worked his butt off, and he definitely deserved it,” Schanuel said.
Schanuel also explained what he saw from Detmers while watching from first base.
“Just pitch sequence, he was mixing it in, throwing strikes, getting ahead,” Schanuel said. “His fastball’s got so much life that it was just jamming guys, and his curveball playing off that. He’s just got really good stuff.”
Detmers would not get the opportunity to finish the game himself. After eight dominant innings, the Angels turned to Ben Joyce to protect the one-run advantage.
Suzuki explained that the decision was more about managing Detmers’ workload after he had already done his job.
“Reid did his job,” Suzuki said. “No need to push it any farther. We got the lead, and it was just time for Ben to come in and shut it down.”
Joyce did exactly that, closing out the ninth inning to earn his second save of the season.
For Detmers, the outing represented one of his most complete performances of the season. He finished with 11 strikeouts, allowed only two hits, and kept the Royals off the scoreboard through eight innings.
Perhaps most importantly, Detmers finally received the win that had eluded him at home.
Still, Detmers said he did not put additional pressure on himself because of his lack of home victories.
“I don’t put extra pressure on myself,” Detmers said. “It’s kind of just one of those things that whatever happens, happens. All I can do is go out there, perform, try to perform my best, give the team a chance to win and just hope for a good outcome.”
Saturday’s performance gave the Angels exactly that opportunity. Detmers gave them eight scoreless innings, Schanuel provided the late breakthrough, and Joyce finished the job as Los Angeles evened the series with a 1-0 victory.