ANAHEIM, Calif. – Angels starter Reid Detmers became the first rookie pitcher with a no-hitter and an immaculate inning in the same season, achieving the latter against the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
“That's pretty cool, I really don't know what to say,” said Detmers, who had a career-high 12 strikeouts in seven innings. “My stuff was working and I got a ton of swings and misses.”
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The Rangers matched the 1979 San Francisco Giants as the only lineups to have three immaculate innings thrown against them in a season. Houston twice retired the Texas side in order with three strikeouts on nine pitches during a game June 15.
“It is something you think about a little bit,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “After the first guy, second guy, you’re like, 'Oh boy, can we just take one here?’ It’s something that doesn’t happen very often. It’s happened to us so many times, but it’s more luck than anything I think.”
Detmers, who pitched a no-hitter against Tampa Bay on May 10, struck out three Texas hitters on nine pitches in the second inning for the 109th immaculate inning in baseball history.
The left-handed Detmers sat down Ezequiel Duran, Kole Calhoun and Charlie Culberson. It is the fourth immaculate inning in the majors this year. He allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits and did not factor in the decision as the Rangers scored three in the ninth inning for a 5-2 victory.
“I was focused on throwing more strikes. I was a little wild in the first,” said Detmers, who allowed a run in the first on 23 pitches and 12 strikes. “I wanted to throw strikes and pound the zone. I got some swings and misses.”
The Rangers became the first team to have it happen twice in the same game when Astros starter Luis Garcia retired the side in the second inning and reliever Phil Maton did it in the seventh on June 15.
Duran has been one of the batters in all three against the Rangers, a first according to MLB.com.
Detmers — the 10th overall pick by the Angels in the 2020 draft out of the University Of Louisville — went 0-1 with a 5.67 ERA in six starts after his no-hitter before he was sent to Triple-A Salt Lake for one start, but he is showing signs of bouncing back.
Since being recalled, Detmers is 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in four starts. He has allowed four runs (three earned) in 24 innings with 31 strikeouts.
“The guy that’s come back (from Triple-A) it’s just been incredible. He’s been able to self adjust on the mound, His presence, everything about him has been pretty good,” Angels interim manager Phil Nevin said. “Quite frankly, he shouldn’t have given up any runs today.”
Detmers is also the first picher since Houston's Mike Fiers in 2015 to do the immaculate/no-hitter double in the same year.
It is only the third immaculate inning in Angels history, with all three occurring in the second inning. Nolan Ryan was the first on July 9, 1972 against Boston and Garrett Richards accomplished it on June 4, 2014 at Houston.
Immaculate innings remain special, but aren't as rare as they once were. This is the 10th since 2020 and 61st since 2000. There were none recorded from 1929-52.
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