Detmers Leads Angels to 7-1 Win

Detmers Leads Angels to 7-1 Win, Handing Yankees Their First Blowout Loss of 2026

By John Nielsen

April 15, 2026

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Angels Jump Out to Early Lead with Back-to-Back-to-Back Homers, while Detmers Stifles Yankees with Dominant Performance

In a season (and an early career) which can only be described as consistently inconsistent,  the Dr. Jekyll-version of Reid Detmers handcuffed Yankee hitters over the first seven plus innings, before turning the game over to the bullpen holding them to two harmless singles and no walks. The 7-1 win evened the Angels record at 9-9.  The Yankees, suffering their first non-competitive game of the season, dropped to 9-8.

The Angels scored all the runs they would need in the first inning. Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler each launched a home run off Yankee starter Ryan Weathers (0-2), giving Los Angeles a 3-0 lead before the Yankees even came to bat. Trout’s homer was his third in the first two games of the series. All three home runs were on down-and-in fastballs and each were deposited in the left field seats, silencing the crowd of 37,792. In the Yankees first 16 games, Yankee starters had allowed only three home runs – Weathers doubled that total, in a mere ten pitches.

On the mound, Detmers (1-1) was in complete control. His sharp-breaking slider and fastball (touching 96 mph) kept Yankee hitters off balance all night. The lefty threw seven-plus innings, allowing just four hits and striking out nine while not issuing a walk. He threw 99 pitches (69 strikes) and gave up only one earned run (on a sacrifice fly by Ben Rice) in the eighth after he exited with runners at the corners and no outs. Detmers' dominance had the Yankees guessing all night, with hitters unable to anticipate pitch type or location.

Ryan Weathers settled in after the shaky first, getting through five-plus innings and striking out 10, including an epic 12-pitch battle with Trout. However, he allowed a fourth solo homer to former Yankee Oswald Peraza in the fourth inning to make it 4-0. Peraza finished the game 3-for-3, raising his average to .267. Weathers ultimately threw 94 pitches (61 strikes) and gave up five earned runs on five hits, walking two.

Los Angeles added two more runs in the sixth on a two-run single by Angel third baseman Yoan Moncada off Yankee reliever Paul Blackburn. In the eighth, Moncada capped off the scoring with a solo homer off Yerry De Los Santos, marking the Angels' fifth long ball of the game. Moncada’s all-around performance—batting 2-for-4 with three RBIs and stellar defense—was a key contributing factor in the win.

Moncada, a potential trade target for the Yankees at the July deadline, showed why he could be a valuable addition, making three excellent defensive plays to go with his offensive output.      

Game Notes:

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Volpe’s Rehab Starts on a Tough Note: Anthony Volpe kicked off his rehab assignment at Double-A Scranton, going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. Keep in mind, Volpe was facing Zack Wheeler, about as tough a Double-A starter as he will ever face. The 20-day clock for Volpe’s activation is ticking, suggesting a return to the big leagues on or before May 4^th.

Home Run Leaders Meet on the Field: Once again, the Top Four Active Home Run Hitters in Major League Baseball – Mike Trout,  Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Paul  Goldschmidt appeared in the same game. This series marks the first time this has happened since 1956 when Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Stan Musial and Hank Sauer played in the same game.

Bullpen Struggles Mount: Brent Headrick made his ELEVENTH appearance of 2026. Collectively, the bullpen threw 86 pitches last night, after throwing 100 on Monday night. Sustainability is becoming a real issue. Yerry De Los Santos, called up overnight for Jake Bird, threw 42 pitches which may signal a call-up of another reliever soon - Angel Chivilli or Yovanny Cruz are possibilities. The two have combined to pitch 14.2 scoreless innings at Triple-A. Chivilli is on the 40-man roster; Cruz would have to be added.

Historic Day for Runs Scored: With the warmer weather in the Eastern U.S, major league bats are heating up. Monday’s games saw an average of 7.3 runs per team – the highest single day average since 1936.

Game Three of the four-game series is set for a 7:05 p.m. start tonight. Luis Gil will take the ball for the Yankees, with the Angels’ starter yet to be determined.