Reid Detmers hopes to stay hot as Angels seek split with A's

Reid Detmers has been on a big-time roll and he looks to keep it going when the Los Angeles Angels complete a four-game series against the Athletics on Sunday afternoon at West Sacramento, Calif.

Detmers is 2-0 with a 1.36 ERA over his past five starts. The left-hander has 39 strikeouts and allowed just 12 hits and five walks in 33 innings during the lava-hot stretch.

Detmers twice allowed just one hit during the span during no-decisions - once against the Texas Rangers on May 24 and the other versus the Houston Astros on June 10.

In his last outing, Detmers (3-5, 3.68 ERA) gave up three hits and didn't walk anyone in seven shutout innings during a 7-0 road win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Detmers, 26, has struck out 100 and walked just 24 in 88 innings. But against Arizona, he fanned just three.

"They don't swing and miss a whole lot and put a lot of balls in play, so just work off them putting everything in play," Detmers told reporters. "Just trying to keep the ball down and pick and choose when to go up. Other than that, just stuck to our game plan of keeping the ball down and making them hit on the ground, put it in play."

Detmers' most-recent poor outing came against the Athletics on May 19 when he allowed season worsts of eight runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Detmers traditionally has struggled against the A's, going 2-2 with an 8.10 ERA in eight career appearances (two starts). Jonah Heim is 6-for-21 with three doubles against Detmers.

Now Detmers will look to help the Angels gain a split of the four-game series after the team cruised to a 7-0 victory on Saturday night.

It was the second straight night the Angels held a seven-run lead. This time, they got four shutout innings from their bullpen. On Friday night, the relievers served up three two-run homers and eight total runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 12-11, 10-inning loss.

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki was impressed with his club's bounce-back performance.

"These guys never stop fighting, man," Suzuki said. "We've had some tough losses and the next day they always come back fighting, almost even harder. So, I think it's a credit to them. That was awesome."

The Athletics had just five hits while being blanked at home for just the second time all season. They were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left the bases loaded in both the first and seventh innings.

"When you don't score, you're not going to win," Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. "That was the story of (Saturday) night."

The A's missed Zack Gelof, who sat out one night after being beaned in the head with a pitch. Gelof owns a career-best 23-game hitting streak, the top active run in the majors.

Kotsay said no concussion symptoms have appeared.

"Zack came in (Saturday) afternoon not feeling great, but nothing that jumped out as signs of anything more than just not feeling his best," Kotsay said.

Right-hander Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.15) will start for the Athletics in the finale.

Perkins received a no-decision against the Pittsburgh Pirates last Tuesday when he allowed three runs and six hits over five innings.

Perkins, 26, gave up one hit in two scoreless innings of relief against the Angels on May 19. He started against Los Angeles last season on Aug. 15 and gave up three runs and five hits over five innings to pick up the win.

Zach Neto is 2-for-4 with a homer against Perkins.

-Field Level Media