Angels bullpen backs shaky Reid Detmers in big win over Mariners

Following a series win in Oakland, the Los Angeles Angels headed to Seattle for what could end up being a crucial three-game series. The Astros are the favorites in the AL West but second to fourth place in the division feels up for grabs. The Angels putting on a good showing on the road against a team that has won 90 games in each of the last two seasons would be great to see.

Our hopes of the Angels getting off to a good start became reality with a 7-3 victory.

LA Angels found a new way to win in victory over the Mariners

The Angels sent Reid Detmers to the mound against George Kirby in a thrilling matchup of young starting pitchers. While the matchup seemed great, neither pitched very well.

Detmers allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits over 4.2 innings pitched. He walked three and struck out seven. He threw 89 pitches and came just short of qualifying for a win. His stuff looked good, but he only threw 55 strikes and seemed to be working awfully hard for three of the five innings he worked in.

Detmers wasn't at his best, but he kept the Angels in it by only allowing two runs. The Angels offense knocked Kirby out of the game before he could finish five innings as well, so that can be looked at as a win-win there.

The Angels were up 4-2 after Shohei Ohtani homered for a second straight game. The Mariners got one back in the bottom of the fifth and had runners on the corners with two outs. Phil Nevin turned to Ryan Tepera to get the final out of the frame. Tepera allowed the go-ahead run to score in Oakland on Opening Day, but he got A.J. Pollock to fly out and end that threat.

From there, the Angels would turn to Matt Moore, Jimmy Herget, Jose Quijada, and Carlos Estevez for one inning each to secure a 7-3 win. The Angels bullpen overall pitched 4.1 scoreless innings allowing just one hit (Herget) and one walk (Moore).

The only questionable move in my eyes was bringing in Carlos Estevez for a second straight day with a four-run lead after he threw 28 pitches on Sunday. His appearance in this game surely knocked him out for tonights game, but it is what it is.

The Angels are now 3-1 and saw their bullpen provide quality length in a victory. This was not a blowout and wasn't even a four-run game until the Angels scratched another insurance run across in the ninth.

We knew what the starting pitching could do and we knew what the offense could do, but seeing the bullpen do this against a formidable Seattle lineup goes a long way. The bullpen with the exception of Aaron Loup has been quite good overall.