Los Angeles Angels fall 6-5 to Detroit Tigers on Aug. 9, 2025 as Matt Vierling’s first homer flips it late; Detmers takes loss, Morton Ks 8. Finnegan logs save.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
For seven innings in Detroit, the Angels looked like a team ready to punch back. Then came two walks, one swing, and a gut-punch. Reliever Reid Detmers issued a pair of free passes in the eighth, and Matt Vierling turned the inning on its head with his first home run of the season—a three-run shot that lifted the Tigers to a 6-5 win at Comerica Park. It was the third straight loss for the Angels, who watched a 5-3 lead evaporate into another what-if on a muggy Saturday.
“Tough one tonight, but we keep grinding. Proud of the fight.” — Mike Trout
The Angels entered the bottom of the eighth up 5-3, having pieced together offense and navigated traffic most of the day. But two Detmers walks opened the door, and Matt Vierling kicked it in with a three-run blast to left—his first of 2025—swinging the game and the series momentum in an instant. Detroit’s Troy Melton took the win in relief; Kyle Finnegan shut the door in the ninth for his 23rd save. Detmers was charged with the loss.
Charlie Morton gave the Angels exactly what they needed early: swing-and-miss stuff and zero free passes. He struck out eight in just 3.1 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits with no walks. The quick hook meant the bullpen had to cover the bulk of the afternoon, and while the bridge held for a while, the eighth-inning walks proved fatal. It’s a reminder that leverage innings are as much about command as stuff—and the Angels have to firm up their late-game strike throwing to stop the skid.
The offense did its part. Mike Trout legged out an infield single to set the tone, and Taylor Ward roped his 26th double to bring him home in the first. In the fifth, Gustavo Campero and Zach Neto ambushed Tigers ace Tarik Skubal with back-to-back homers—Campero’s second of the year and Neto’s second off Skubal this season—to push the Angels ahead. Jo Adell’s steady power pace continues as well; he’s batting .232 with a team-leading 24 homers and 67 RBIs.
Yoán Moncada rejoined the lineup on August 8 after a stint on the restricted list to take his U.S. citizenship test. He was promptly plunked in the fourth inning Saturday, a bruising welcome-back moment that at least confirmed he’s feeling game-quick again. His return adds needed depth to the infield mix as the Angels try to stabilize both the glove work and the bottom third of the order.
The front office kept working the margins this week. Niko Kavadas was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on August 7 after a brief big-league stint, and the club added veteran first baseman Cavan Biggio on a minor league deal August 6 to bolster organizational depth. From the farm, outfielder Bryce Teodosio was promoted on August 2 to inject speed and defense, while infielder Scott Kingery returned to Salt Lake on August 3. It’s a steady churn designed to cover injuries and ride the hot hand—exactly what a club needs when one-run games keep swinging late.
Three straight losses have the Angels in fourth in the AL West, where the margins are thin and late-inning execution is everything. Saturday underscored the formula: avoid the free passes, keep the ball in the yard late, and cash in early traffic. The offense produced five runs against elite pitching and created extra-base damage; now it’s about aligning leverage roles and commanding the zone when it matters most.
Postgame, the tone was resolve over resignation. Mike Trout summed it up on social media: “Tough one tonight, but we keep grinding. Proud of the fight.” The Angels’ account amplified the positives with clips of the Campero and Neto homers, while Detroit’s Riley Greene drew clicks for a defensive gem. The sentiment is right: this club fought; now it needs the finish.
What’s next? The Angels will try to flip the script in Detroit by tightening the strike zone late and leaning on the pop that showed up Saturday—Ward’s gap power, Neto’s timely thump, and Adell’s team-leading production. Moncada’s return should help balance the infield, and Teodosio’s energy could matter in a spacious Comerica outfield. The path out of this skid is clear: fewer free passes, cleaner leverage innings, and keep stacking quality at-bats. There’s still time to make the summer interesting—if they start closing the close ones.
