BOSTON — The Angels’ bullpen is coming together.
After starter Yusei Kikuchi struggled again with his command, failing to get an out in the sixth inning, five Angels relievers each worked a scoreless inning to allow them to pick up a 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
Since May 18, Angels relievers have a 2.78 ERA in a 16-game span.
“It’s been fun,” said left-hander Reid Detmers, who picked up his first career save. “That’s kind of one thing we take pride in: going out there and getting zeros. Yeah, we’ve had some bumps in the road, but just you just gotta get over the hump.”
For much of the season’s first two months, the Angels’ bullpen was one of the worst in baseball. Detmers has been at the center of the improvement, allowing one run in his last 11 innings.
He took the mound in the 10th with a one-run lead, because that’s all the Angels could muster from their automatic runner in the top of the inning. The Red Sox never even moved their automatic runner to third. Detmers struck out the first two hitters and then ended the game with a pop-up.
Nolan Ryan, Mike Witt and Detmers are the only Angels pitchers to have a no-hitter and a save since it became an official stat in 1969.
Between Kikuchi and Detmers, Brock Burke, Connor Brogdon, Hector Neris and Kenley Jansen each put a zero on the scoreboard.
They helped the Angels (28-32) win the first two of a three-game series in Boston. They had lost seven out of eight before their arrival at Fenway Park.
This victory was about the Angels getting good pitching and doing fundamental things well, in contrast to the Red Sox.
In the third inning, the Angels hit only one ball hard, but they still scored three runs.
Jo Adell was hit by a pitch and then stole second. Chris Taylor drew a walk. Zach Neto punched a single up the middle, and Adell scored. When center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela’s throw sailed over the head of catcher Connor Wong, the two runners each moved up 90 feet. That drew in the Boston infield, and then Nolan Schanuel hit a soft grounder through the left side, driving in two runs.
For the rest of the night, the Angels came up empty on numerous opportunities to expand the lead. In the 10th, though, the Red Sox cracked the door again.
Schanuel started the inning by dropping down a bunt, simply trying to give up an out to get their automatic runner to third. Red Sox pitcher Zack Kelly mishandled it, for an error. Thanks to that extra out, Taylor Ward’s subsequent double play pushed home what proved to be the decisive run.
By contrast, the Angels’ defense was solid, which it hasn’t been for most of the season. The Angels turned three double plays. The outfielders flawlessly handled each of the Boston hits, prevented any extra bases. Adell and Neto collaborated on two perfect throws to nail a runner at the plate in the second inning.
“The good thing is, we didn’t make any errors tonight,” Manager Ron Washington said. “We kept putting the pressure on them, and, they made some mistakes, and we took advantage of it.”
The biggest negative on the night for the Angels was Kikuchi’s control. He issued five more walks, and the game-tying two-run homer he allowed to Rafaela came after he fell behind 3-and-0 and hung a slider.
Kikuchi has a 3.23 ERA, but he has walked 40 in 69⅔ innings. That’s prevented him from getting deep into games. He still hasn’t thrown a pitch past the sixth inning.
Pitching coach Barry Enright believed the Angels might have figured out the answer last week. Enright said they realized Kikuchi had changed the grip on his fastball and slider. Kikuchi said through his interpreter that the grip wasn’t a significant issue.
“I tried to make some tweaks, but not really,” he said.
Asked what he has to do to limit his walks, Kikuchi said: “I think my stuff’s been good. The velo has been up with the heater too. Just a few adjustments here and there. I think I’ll be back to where I was before.”
In the meantime, he’s at least keeping the Angels close enough. While he has only one victory, the Angels have won five of his last six starts.
“Very tough matchup today,” Kikuchi said. “Had to grind out there. I’m glad I was somehow able to keep the team in the game. … The bullpen was really great. They picked me up today. They’ve been pitching really well recently. So yeah, just keep going.”
