Reid Detmers hits new career-high in Angels' walk-off win

ANAHEIM, Calif. – It's hard to imagine that someone who's thrown a no-hitter, as Reid Detmers did in 2022, can actually top that kind of performance, but Detmers very well may have done that on Sunday against the Texas Rangers. 

He went eight innings, allowing just one hit and one earned run without allowing a single walk and striking out a career-high 14 batters in the process. Detmers didn't dare put anything above his crowning achievement back in 2022, but he admitted that this performance at least came second. 

"A no-hitter's a no-hitter. I would say stuff-wise, this was my best game, but nothing's gonna beat a no-hitter," Detmers said. 

Comparing the no-hitter to now

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, who was actually Detmers' teammate back in 2022 when he tossed that no-hitter, was inclined to agree with his pitcher, never discrediting the sanctity of such an achievement. But, Suzuki was impressed with Detmers on Sunday, especially with his efficiency as he got all 14 of his strikeouts while throwing just 96 pitches. 

Detmers was as sharp as he's ever been, pumping his four-seam fastball as quick as 96 MPH and commanding it well at the bottom of the zone. Detmers and Suzuki both agreed that it was the command of Detmers' fastball that made his slider, which became his top strikeout pitch, so effective. 

He cruised through eight innings, with his only mistake in the game being that he left a changeup over the middle of the plate to Jake Burger in the second inning and Burger capitalized with a solo home run into the right field seats. Beyond that, Detmers was perfect, and he did it all with just one run of support courtesy of a Mike Trout RBI single.

Suzuki even had the thought of sending Detmers back out to attempt a complete game in the ninth, but ultimately decided it was better to leave him with eight guaranteed strong innings. 

Detmers Resetting

Detmers was in need of a bounce-back after giving up eight runs in his last start, a May 19 loss to the Athletics, and with a performance like Sunday's he has the exact kind of spring board he needs to move forward. 

"This game is very hard. Games like that can happen and [you've] just got to move forward," Detmers said of his last start. "You've just got to look forward to the next start and and put it in the past and I did a pretty good job of that this week."

Ric Tapia – The Sporting Tribune

Reid Detmers #48 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches during the game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

Sam Bachman took over in the ninth, and for the first time since that second inning home run from Burger, the Angels were sweating. Soon enough, Bachman was staring down bases loaded with two outs and none other than Burger at the plate.

The count was tied 2-2 when Bachman reared back and fired a 90.2 MPH slider on the outside half of the zone that Burger chopped at and foul-tipped into catcher Sebastián Rivero's glove for the third out of a scoreless ninth inning.

Ric Tapia – The Sporting Tribune

Jorge Soler #12 of the Los Angeles Angels hits during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

That brought the Angels to the bottom of the ninth with a chance to break a 1-1 tie and win the game. 

Peraza Steps Up

Jorge Soler singled his way aboard with one out and advanced to second after Jo Adell was hit by a pitch. Soler was pinch-run for at second by Donovan Walton to add some speed to the winning run when Oswald Peraza stepped up to the plate. 

Perza broke his bat on a chopper straight up the middle to Justin Foscue at second. Foscue fielded the ball cleanly and tapped the bag to get Adell out at second, but he had trouble getting it out of his glove and consequently threw the ball away trying to get Peraza at first.

Ric Tapia – The Sporting Tribune

Oswald Peraza #2 of the Los Angeles Angels gets a Gatorade bath after the game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 24, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

Burger couldn't handle the pick and as the ball skipped away, Walton raced home and scored the walk-off run to take the game 2-1. 

"That's amazing," Peraza said. "I went up trying [to] just put the ball in play and not trying too much."

It was the Angels' first sweep of any team this season and the first time they've won three-straight games at all since April 4-6.

"Feels good. To our guys' credit, they battled this series. They had a lot of energy. They played together. They did a lot of good things to help the team win," Suzuki said. "It was fun to be a part of."