With trade deadline looming, Detmers delivers scoreless start in Angels loss

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Reid Detmers and the Los Angeles Angels are reaching a critical point of the season. The trade deadline is just weeks away and the Angels still find themselves at the bottom of the American League West and well out of even Wild Card contention. 

That brings the team to the question that all teams who are struggling halfway through the year have to both ask and answer: do they sell at the deadline?

Historically, the Angels have rarely been sellers, even when things are going poorly. But things have also rarely gone this poorly at this point of the season and the team is under under new general management after all, if only through the end of the season. 

In that scenario, Reid Detmers will be among one of the most attractive starting pitcher trade candidates in all of baseball, and he raised his value even more on Friday night against the Detroit Tigers. 

Handling Trade Rumors

"[I] try not to think about it," Detmers said of the trade deadline. "It's obviously pretty hard to ignore, but at the same time, it is what it is. There's not a whole lot I can do. But right now, I'm here, and that's all my focus is: being here and helping this team win and trying to get to the postseason."

While Detmers has been having an up-and-down season, the flashes of brilliance he's shown off have shown why the Angels have been so committed to holding on to him for so long and he was similarly excellent against the Detroit Tigers, adding even more trade value to his name. 

Detmers went six innings without allowing a run or a walk while only giving up four hits and striking out seven, including striking out the side in the top of the fourth and putting down Detroit's three, four and five hitters in the process. 

The slider, as usual, was working the best for Detmers as his swing-and-miss pitch and he attributed his success with it to the command of his fastball that enhanced his overall mix and kept hitters guessing. 

But after six innings and only 86 pitches, Detmers was sat down for the night. He said after the game that he could have gone another inning, but manager Kurt Suzuki was content with what he saw. 

Explaining an Early Exit

"We felt like he threw the ball well coming off the [All-Star] break," Suzuki said. "It's been a few starts [that] he struggled a little bit, so having him go six shutout coming off the break, we felt like was good for him."

Detmers left the game with a one run lead, the only run that the Angels scored in the entire game courtesy of a RBI ground out by Josh Lowe in the bottom of the first, and up until the last out of the top of the ninth, that was the only run they needed.

The Angels were leading 1-0 when Kirby Yates, who has struggled in the closer spot overall despite some recent success, came in to try and shut the door. 

No-Good Ninth Inning

He did work his way to two outs, but a hit batter and a walk set the stage for Hao-Yu Lee, who ripped a fastball that Yates left over the plate deep into right-center field, clearing the bases to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead and spoil Detmers' night with a no-decision. 

"Seems like any time I get in a situation where it's tight... I can't get the leadoff guy out and that's killing me," Yates said. "Today I didn't throw the ball very well... I needed to make a few critical pitches towards the end. Got a couple big outs. Couldn't get the last one." 

It spoiled the rest of the game as well and the Angels went down 2-1 for their 60th loss of the season. 

There will surely be some hard decisions made once the deadline approaches and the same way that Detmers was the bright spot of Friday's game amidst the loss, he may be the bright spot of the Angels' trade activity as well.