Angels Lose Again in the Ninth: A Simple Breakdown

What Happened in the Game?

On Friday night in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels played against the Detroit Tigers. The Angels lost the game by a score of 2 to 1.

Here is the simple version of the story:

• A pitcher named Kirby Yates was supposed to protect a small lead in the final inning.
• He did not do that, and the Tigers scored to win.
• This kind of mistake has happened a lot to the Angels this year.

Important Point: The Angels have now lost eight games this season where they were winning after the eighth inning. Kirby Yates was the reason for three of those losses. He also lost four other games that were tied when he started pitching.

How the Game Played Out

The Good Pitching Early

• Starting pitcher Reid Detmers and two relief pitchers (Ryan Zeferjahn and Sam Bachman) helped the Angels keep a 1-0 lead through six innings.
• Detmers was very good. The Tigers never had more than one runner on base in any inning against him.
• Zeferjahn and Bachman each pitched perfect innings after Detmers.

The Ninth-Inning Collapse

Yates came in to pitch the ninth inning with a 1-0 lead. This is what he did:

1. He hit a batter named Dillon Dingler with a pitch.
2. He got one out.
3. He walked Riley Greene.
4. He got a second out on a fly ball.
5. He gave up a two-run hit (a double) to Hao-Yu Lee. That ended the game, 2-1 Tigers.

The Angels’ Last Chance

• In the bottom of the ninth, the Angels put two runners on base with no outs.
• But the Tigers made two great defensive plays to end the game.

Why Reid Detmers Matters

Detmers is a 26-year-old pitcher who might be traded soon. Here is what you need to know:

• The MLB trade deadline is August 3. This is the last day teams can trade players.
• Detmers is expected to be a popular player that other teams want.
• Before this game, he had a bad 7.40 ERA (a number that shows how many runs a pitcher allows) in his last four starts.
• The Angels do not have to trade him because they can keep him for two more years.
• Their plan: ask for a high price and see if another team pays it.

Important Point: If Detmers keeps pitching like he did in this game, the Angels can keep their high price tag on him. He likely has three more starts before the deadline.

For the whole season, Detmers has a 4.16 ERA, with 130 strikeouts and 35 walks in 114 and two-thirds innings. He also threw six scoreless innings against the Dodgers last month, which looks good to playoff teams.

The Hitters Struggled Too

Even though Yates lost the game, the Angels batters only scored one run.

• They loaded the bases in the first inning but only scored on a groundout.
• In the third, Mike Trout doubled and Nolan Schanuel walked, but the next three batters made outs.
• Zach Neto singled in the fifth but was caught stealing.

They were facing Troy Melton, a local guy from Canyon High in Anaheim, making his first appearance at Angel Stadium in the big leagues.

Summary

The Angels lost 2-1 to the Tigers after leading in the ninth. Kirby Yates blew the save, continuing a team pattern of late losses. Reid Detmers pitched great and may be traded soon. The hitters did not score enough. The Angels are now 38-60 on the season.

FAQ

1. What does "ERA" mean?
ERA stands for Earned Run Average. It shows how many runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings. A lower number is better.

2. What is the "trade deadline"?
It is a date (August 3) by which teams must finish trading players. After that, no more trades until next season.

3. Why didn’t the Angels trade Detmers earlier?
They are not forced to. He is young and under team control for two more years, so they can wait for a great offer.

4. Who is Kirby Yates?
He is a relief pitcher for the Angels who has lost several games this year when the team was ahead or tied late.

5. What does "caught stealing" mean?
It means a batter who reached base tried to advance to the next base without a hit, but the other team got him out.