Angels take 4-3 win over Red Sox in extras, Reid Detmers records historic save

BOSTON -- Reid Detmers made Angels’ hurlers history as the Halos held on in extra innings for a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox Tuesday, June 3 at Fenway Park. 

The Angels got their offense rolling in the top of the third with a couple of free passes to start the inning. Outfielder Jo Adell was hit by a pitch to lead off, followed by a walk from second baseman Chris Taylor to set the stage for shortstop Zach Neto to drive a ground ball up the middle to send Adell charging for home from second.

The relay throw from Boston center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela sailed past the catcher as Adell slid in safely to score the first run of the game while Taylor and Neto advanced to second and third on the error.

Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel stepped up next and delivered with runners in scoring position, clearing the bases with a ground ball through the hole between shortstop and third base to improve the Angel lead to 3-0 in the top of the third. 

Boston got one back with three straight hits to open the bottom half of the third inning, including a double off the Green Monster to drive home one run and make it a 3-1 Angels lead. 

Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi found himself staring down bases loaded with one out later in the inning, before forcing a strikeout and ground out from the last two Red Sox he faced to limit the damage to just Durran’s one-RBI double.

Kikuchi found himself in trouble several times in the game, both in the bases loaded situation in the bottom of the third inning and later in the bottom of the fourth, when he faced runners at second and third with just one out. Kikuchi later saved himself and stranded both runners to end the inning scoreless, but he wouldn’t be so successful when he faced trouble in the bottom of the sixth.

Kikuchi opened the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff walk to Trevor Story, bringing up center field Rafaela, who had made the wild throw that allowed the Angels to score their own three runs, and he redeemed himself with one swing of the bat.

Rafeala got a hold of a Kickuchi fastball and sent it high into the seats on top of the Green Monster for a two-run home run to tie the game at three apiece. 

Kikuchi was pulled with no outs in the sixth after walking Connor Wong, finishing the night with eight hits and three earned runs allowed in five innings, while striking out five and walking a critical five batters. 

The four Angels relievers that came in from the bullpen impressed for the Halos and kept the game scoreless going into the ninth. The Angels offense was similarly scoreless, failing to drive in a run since the third inning while leaving eight runners on base in the process. 

"It was outstanding, we needed everything they gave us too," Angels manager Ron Washington said of the bullpen's performance in a televised postgame interview. "Kuch [Kikuchi] wasn't at his best tonight, but he battled and got us into the sixth inning... Burke came in and did a great job, Brockman came in and did a great job, Neris came in and saved us and Kenley [Jansen] did a heck of a job in a tough situation."

Going into the ninth still tied 3-3, Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman came from the Boston bullpen and put his three assigned Angels down in order, forcing Angels closer Kenley Jansen to do the same to send the game into extras, though Jansen faced more pressure than his counterpart. 

With runners on first and second and one out, the Red Sox needed one base hit to take the game in walk off fashion. Jansen battled Wilyer Abreu before putting him down with a high fastball for a swinging strikeout, then forced Romy Gonzales to chop a ground ball toward the second hole where Taylor fielded it with a backhand and fired to Schanuel at first base to escape the inning scoreless and head into extras, still tied at three. 

Los Angeles caught a break to lead off the top of the 10th inning after Boston pitcher Zach Kelley mishandled a bunt by Schanuel, allowing Neto, the designated runner on second base, to advance to third.

Mike Trout was the next batter up before being quickly walked to load the bases for outfielder Taylor Ward, who has already hit two grand slams so far this season. 

Ward worked the count to 3-1 before slashing at a ball in the bottom of the zone, hitting into a double play but driving in the go-ahead run in the process to put the Angels up 4-3. 

Reid Detmers stepped on the mound for the Angels in the bottom of the 10th and struck out the first two batters he faced before forcing Rafaela to pop out in the infield to close the game for the Angels and earn Detmer’s his first career save.

The save for Detmers puts him into rare territory among Angels pitchers, joining Nolan Ryan and Mike Witt to become the third Angels pitcher ever to record a save and a no-hitter. Dermers has also tossed a no-hitter in his career, making him one of just a handful in MLB history to record a save, no-hitter and an immaculate inning in their career.

"It's crazy, I can't even process it right now," Detmers said of his historic save in a televised postgame interview. "The only thing I know is that I got a beer shower coming my way."

The Angels look to secure the three-game-sweep against the Red Sox with a matchup tomorrow, June 4 at 10:35 am PDT.