Not even those wearing the rosiest colored glasses could have predicted how Reid Detmers’ night would go. Not his friends. Not his teammates. Not his family. Not even Reid himself.

“It’s just something I’ve dreamed of, ever since I was a little kid,” Detmers said in the postgame press conference. “But I didn’t think it would ever happen.” Detmers, of course, was referring to the no-hitter that he threw on that magical May 10 evening at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. for the Los Angeles Angels in a 12-0 win.

The outs clicked by innocently enough in the early innings for Detmers with the Nokomis native retiring the Tampa Bay Rays in order in the first inning then again in the second and third innings; totaling only 30 pitches the first time through the order. Then it was a 1-2-3 fourth inning and another clean frame in the fifth.

Suddenly, a perfect game through five innings was in the offing for the lefty. A sixth-inning walk ended the perfecto bid; but it left the no-hitter intact, and that runner soon was erased in a double play. A hard-hit ball to the right of first baseman Jared Walsh allowed Tampa’s Brett Phillips to reach base with one out in the seventh. Was it a hit or an error? After a few tense minutes, the crowed sighed with relief E-3 flashed on the scoreboard, signaling an error charged to Walsh. Two more fly ball outs ended the seventh for Tampa. Reid’s pitch count had climbed to 83 through seven innings, yet the excitement was becoming palpable for the 39,313 in attendance on a night that started by honoring reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani, the two-way standout of the Angels.

As the eighth inning commenced, the game had long been decided with the Angels scoring eight runs in the first three innings. Ohtani watched from the dugout as he was the designated hitter in this game. Detmers quickly dispatched the Rays in the eighth inning, needing only 11 pitches to induce two fly balls to right field and a pop out to second base.

The bottom of the eighth attempted to be a distraction as the Rays trotted out Phillips a position player to pitch. The Angels scored four runs, including the second homer of the game by Mike Trout and a homer by Anthony Rendon. Typically that would not be newsworthy, but Rendon opted to bat left-handed for the first time in the majors while facing Phillips, usually an outfielder. Finally, the bottom of the eighth ended with the Angels leading 12-0. It was back to the mound one more time for Reid.

Nerves were riding high, not only at the ballpark, but also around central Illinois as the 22-year-old Detmers attempted to make history in just his 11th big league start. His parents, Kris and Erica, were at their Chatham home, along with Reid’s youngest brother Parker, watching Reid pitch his way into the record books. Those nerves were squashed when Detmers started the ninth by getting Tampa’s Vidal Brujan to foul out to the catcher. Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to second base. Then on the 108th pitch of the game, leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz ended the gem as it started, with a grounder to shortstop Andrew Velazquez. The no-hitter was complete. And the celebration was on in Anaheim and beyond!

For his efforts, Detmers earned American League Player of the Week honors; as well as a place in central Illinois and Los Angeles Angels baseball lore. Congrats, Reid!

As noted in the April edition of The Bullpen, the Rocket City Trash Pandas honored Reid Detmers with a bobblehead giveaway on April 28.

More than 4,300 fans found their way to Toyota Field in Madison, Ala. for the Trash Pandas’ game, with some 2,000 bobbleheads of Detmers distributed to fans 18 and older. And now you have a chance to win one of your own. The BRS will be selling chances for $5 each or 3 for $10 to win one of these bobbleheads. The drawing will be held July 10 at the BRS during the Nokomis Homecoming festival.

Detmers started the first game in franchise history for the Trash Pandas, the Class AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Detmers made his professional debut with Rocket City in that May 2021 start, before moving up the minor league system and making it to the major leagues in August 2021.