Aug 9, 2025: Los Angeles Angels led 5-3 until Matt Vierling’s 3-run HR off Reid Detmers flipped it; Detroit Tigers win 6-5 despite Neto, Adell HRs in Detroit.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
The Angels had the game lined up in Detroit: power from Gustavo Campero, Zach Neto, and Jo Adell, a 5-3 lead in the eighth, and a chance to halt the slide. Then came two walks, one mistake, and Matt Vierling’s three-run homer off Reid Detmers that turned a near-needed win into a 6-5 gut punch at Comerica Park. The loss drops the Halos to 55-61, their losing streak to three, and keeps them 10 games back in the AL West—very much in search of answers late in games.
“Eight innings of good baseball don’t mean much if the ninth belongs to your mistakes.”
Protecting a 5-3 lead in the eighth, the Angels put the ball in Reid Detmers’ hands. It unraveled quickly: two walks set the table and Matt Vierling cashed it with a three-run blast to left. It’s the kind of sequence that’s haunted the Halos during this skid—traffic via walks, then the one swing that flips the inning. This wasn’t a barrage of hits; it was execution slipping at the margins. In a winnable game, that’s the difference between flying home happy and wearing another one-run loss.
Yusei Kikuchi turned in a solid enough start: 5 innings, 3 runs, giving the lineup a chance to take control. He wasn’t dominant, but he contained damage and passed a lead along to the pen. The relief blueprint didn’t hold. Late-inning clarity—roles, matchups, and a plan to limit free passes—has to be priority No. 1 if the Angels want to stop bleeding close games.
For most of the night, the offense felt like it had finally found some breathing room. Gustavo Campero launched a two-run homer, Zach Neto added a solo shot, and Jo Adell kept his power rolling with another solo blast. That trio provided all the cushion the Angels could reasonably ask for on the road. The encouraging piece: different parts of the lineup are producing. Neto and Adell continue to be everyday impact bats, and Campero’s swing showed the kind of lift that can change a game. The club needs that production to carry into tight late innings—and to be rewarded by cleaner finishes.
Yoán Moncada was reinstated from the restricted list after completing his U.S. citizenship test and is expected to step right into the starting lineup. Beyond the feel-good moment, it’s a potentially stabilizing one. A true third baseman with experience, Moncada gives the infield a more settled look and lengthens the order with a switch-hitting presence. On a team losing tight games, a few extra quality at-bats and steadier defense at the hot corner can tilt margins back the Angels’ way.
To make room for Moncada, the Angels optioned Niko Kavadas to Triple-A Salt Lake. Meanwhile, Bryce Teodosio—selected on August 2—remains with the big club to bolster outfield depth amid the roster shuffle. The message is clear: the front office wants flexibility. With Moncada back and Teodosio available for late-game defense and speed, the bench makeup fits a team trying to protect leads and manufacture late runs.
At 55-61 and 10 back in the AL West, the Angels have dropped six of ten and three straight. The math isn’t kind, but the path forward is simple: convert late leads. That starts with throwing strikes under pressure, avoiding the leadoff walk, and matching leverage arms to leverage hitters. The series in Detroit continues Sunday, and all eyes will be on Moncada’s return, the lineup’s carryover power, and how the bullpen is deployed after Saturday’s sting. Clean innings late are the ticket out of this slide.
The Angels showed enough to win Saturday—power early, a lead late—but let it slip in the eighth. With Moncada back and the offense showing punch, the fixable part is execution at the end. Sunday in Detroit becomes about stopping the skid, trusting the plan, and turning a one-swing loss into a one-run win.
