Los Angeles Angels rookie left-hander Reid Detmers pitched a no-hitter in a 12-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday evening at Angel Stadium.
Only two Rays’ batters reached base. Taylor Walls walked on a full count leading off the sixth. Angels first baseman Jared Walsh bobbled a grounder by Brett Phillips which was ruled an error with one out in the seventh.
Detmers completed the no-hitter by retiring Yandy Diaz on a ground out to shortstop Andrew Velazquez.
The 22-year-old Detmers threw 108 pitches, with 68 going for strikes. He struck out two before a crowd announced at 39,313.
Detmers faced one batter over the minimum, ending the sixth by getting Kevin Kiermaier to ground into a double play.
The no-hitter was the second of the lockout delayed 2022 season and the first by an individual pitcher. Five New York Mets pitchers combined on a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 29.
The no-hitter is the 12th in the Angels’ 62-season history, including four by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, and first since Taylor Cole and Felix Pena combined for one in July 2019. It was the first individual no-hitter by an Angel pitcher since Jered Weaver in May 2012.
Detmers is the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter after entering the game with a career ERA of 6.00 or higher in at least 40 innings since ERA became an official stat in both leagues in 1913, according to the sports technology company Stats Perform.
Detmers’ ERA was 6.33 in 42.2 innings entering Tuesday’s game.
The no-hitter came in Detmers’ 11th career major league start. He never pitched more than 6 innings in a major league game before Tuesday.
The Angels selected Detmers with the 10th pick in the 2020 MLB draft out of the University of Louisville. With minor league baseball not being played in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Detmers made his professional debut in 2021 with the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Angels’ double-A affiliate.
Detmers was promoted to the Angels’ triple-A Salt Lake City affiliate after 12 starts with Rocket City and called up to the Angels last Aug. 1 after making one start for Salt Lake City.
After going 1-3 in four starts for the Angels in 2021, Detmers was placed on the injured list with no reason given. He missed 25 games while on the injured list and made one rehabilitation start with Salt Lake City. He made the Angels’ final start of the 2021 season.
Detmers entered 2022 rated by Baseball America as the top prospect in the Angels organization.