Davis Daniel amazes in first MLB start; Angels defeat Tigers

ANAHEIM — It was quite a way to make a first impression.

Right-hander Davis Daniel excelled in his first Major League start, a 5-0 win over the Tigers in the series opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. It wasn’t his MLB debut, as he made three relief appearances last year and posted a 2.19 ERA in 12 1/3 innings, but it was a continuation of a solid start to his big league career. He joined Bill Kelso (1964), Andy Messersmith (1968) and Steve Kealey (1969) as the only Angels pitchers to throw eight-plus scoreless innings in their first career start.

“The short stints I had last year gave me some confidence and helped me feel comfortable up here and know that I can get guys out at the highest level,” Daniel said. “And obviously, the more you do it, the more confidence you get, the better you feel.”

Daniel, the club’s No. 26 prospect, is far from imposing, as he’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds and has a fastball that averaged 91.7 mph against the Tigers. But he knows how to command his four-pitch mix to keep hitters off-balance despite not having plus stuff.

He allowed four hits and didn’t walk a batter while throwing 99 pitches. He also struck out eight and registered 13 swings and misses, including five with his changeup, four with his fastball and two with his slider and curveball. His eight strikeouts tied for the second-most in a first career start by an Angels pitcher behind only Rudy May’s 10 on April 18, 1965. The last player in the Majors to throw at least eight scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in a first career start was Jason Jennings with the Rockies in 2001.

“It was a historic night for Daniel,” manager Ron Washington said. “He was 21 in 26 first-pitch strikes. He changed speeds. He moved the ball around. He told me after the eighth he had more left but he might’ve needed to get to 115 pitches. And I wanted him to feel good about what he did.”

Daniel, who was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game, joined the rotation to replace lefty Patrick Sandoval, who underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. He had a 5.33 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 76 innings across 14 starts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League but had been pitching better recently to earn the promotion.

Daniel, 27, was a seventh-round pick out of Auburn in 2019 and picked up his first MLB win last year in relief on Sept. 29, 2023, when he threw five scoreless innings against the A’s. But this was even more special because it came in a Major League start. He had 12-15 family members there, including his wife, Meg, his parents and her parents.

“I told my wife this morning I didn’t sleep great because it felt like Christmas morning,” Daniel said. “But once I got to the park, I really felt calmed down and everything felt good, and I was excited.”

With his strong performance, Daniel is expected to get the chance to remain in the rotation. It’s currently thin with right-hander José Soriano on the injured list until early July with an abdomen infection and lefty Reid Detmers and right-hander Chase Silseth working on things at Triple-A Salt Lake.

“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Washington said. “But I think if you throw eight shutout innings, if there’s an opportunity, you’re going to get it.”

He was backed by plenty of offense as the Angels showed off their power against veteran right-hander Jack Flaherty. Miguel Sanó hit a solo homer in the second, Willie Calhoun added one in the fourth and Luis Rengifo connected on a two-run blast as part of a three-run fifth.

But the night belonged to Daniel, who had been called up twice this year without seeing action and proved that the shoulder issues that plagued him last year are a thing of the past.

“That was a treat,” said catcher Logan O’Hoppe. “The thing that stood out was just an improvement from last year. It was a challenge for him to find the strike zone on a consistent basis. But tonight was unbelievable. Every pitch I called, he threw it right where he wanted to and I can’t think of one ball he missed all night.”