Michael Wacha looked really good for the Padres on Monday night.
The pitcher took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in San Diego’s eventual 4-0 win over the Kansas City Royals at Petco Park. Wacha gave up a leadoff single to Michael Massey to begin the frame on the ex-Boston Red Sox righty’s 103rd pitch of the game.
Wacha struck out a new career-high 11 batters in his outing as he turned in his best start of the 2023 Major League Baseball season. He was in control of his pitches and made easy work of the Royals lineup. But he had to talk his way back to the mound for the eighth inning.
“I wanted to go back out there,” Wacha told reporters, per MLB.com. “I told (manager Bob Melvin), ‘Hey, let’s keep it rolling.’ I really appreciated him trusting me to go back out there. I know the pitch count was up there. … I was doing the math. I would have liked a three-pitch inning in the eighth and another in the ninth.”
Wacha is no stranger to being close to throwing a no-no. He came within one out in 2013 during his rookie season with the St. Louis Cardinals and made it into the ninth inning in 2018. He did, however, combine for a no-hitter with Triple-A Worcester last year when he made the start for the WooSox and went 4 2/3 innings.
The 31-year-old improved to 4-1 in the Padres’ win and could pitch against his former team this weekend when San Diego welcomes Boston to Petco Park for a three-game set beginning Friday.
