Angels' Reid Detmers aims to overcome issues vs. A's

Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers enters Saturday night's game against the Athletics in Anaheim, Calif., having allowed three earned runs or less in nine of his last 11 starts.

The bad news is that the two starts in which he allowed more than three earned runs came against the A's.

Detmers (3-5, 3.93 ERA) has a 2-2 record and 7.94 ERA in nine career appearances (three starts) against the Athletics. However, his stats are even worse for his two starts against them in 2026, as he has allowed 13 runs (all earned) on 14 hits in just 11 2/3 innings.

Detmers gave up five runs, including four in the first inning, on six hits and four walks in six innings in his last start, a 9-7 Angels victory over the A's on Sunday in West Sacramento, Calif.

He had allowed a total of five earned runs in his five previous starts.

"Just didn't feel good mechanically in the first," Detmers told The Orange County Register. "I'm glad I was able to make it through six and kept the pitch count relatively low."

The Angels rallied to win Sunday's game after Zach Neto hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning.

On Saturday, right-hander Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.26 ERA) will make his ninth career start for the A's.

Perkins is 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) vs. Los Angeles. He struck out a career-high eight batters and allowed four runs on four hits Sunday in his last start, his team's 9-7 loss to the Angels.

The Athletics have won six of the nine meetings with the Angels this season, including a 9-3 victory in Friday night's series opener.

Jeff McNeil and Henry Bolte each had a two-run single to highlight a seven-run fifth inning, the most runs scored in an inning this season for the Athletics. The A's parlayed two walks with six singles for the big inning.

Angels starter Walbert Urena had dominated the A's before the fifth-inning surge, throwing four perfect innings and striking out five on just 36 pitches.

"Obviously, he was dominant for four innings," Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. "He's been dominant all year against us, really. I think we did a good job of making adjustments there in the fifth inning. We got more patient, drew a walk or two, and we put some hits together."

"They battled and put the ball in play and found some holes," Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said.

The 22-year-old Bolte led the way for the A's, driving in two runs, scoring two and stealing a base. In his last 21 games, Bolte is batting .343 with two home runs, eight RBIs and a .913 OPS.

"He was making good pitches," Bolte said of Urena. "He's got a tough sinker to hit. He was throwing a lot of strikes. That inning was huge for us, just getting the next guy up, drawing a couple of walks to make him throw some pitches, and then finally getting the ball put in play where the fielder's (weren't), and just getting the next guy up."

Urena threw 35 pitches in the fifth and recorded just one out before giving way to reliever Brent Suter.

Jo Adell hit a two-run homer for the Angels in the loss.

--Field Level Media