Wacha (8-10) took the loss against the Tigers on Saturday, allowing three runs on eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts over six innings.
Wacha gave up a run in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings but still turned in a quality start on a season-high 108 pitches. It was the first time the 34-year-old allowed more than two earned runs since July 5, and he's now pitched into the sixth frame in seven straight outings. He'll take a 3.39 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 108:38 K:BB across 148.2 innings into a home rematch with the Tigers next weekend.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Steady campaign continues in win
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Wacha (8-9) notched the win Monday against Texas, allowing two runs on nine hits and no walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out three.
The nine hits allowed were Wacha's most since his June 30 start in Seattle, though that didn't stop him from tossing at least five innings while surrendering two runs or fewer in his seventh straight outing. The veteran right-hander continues to put together a steady campaign for the Royals, as he's given up greater than three runs on just five occasions among 25 appearances. Wacha owns a solid 3.34 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 104:37 K:BB across 142.2 frames, though a tough test against the first-place Tigers is on tap for this weekend.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Earns third consecutive win
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Wacha (7-9) got the win Tuesday over the Nationals, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three in 5.2 innings.
Wacha was one out away from completing five scoreless frames but a triple from Luis Garcia pushed across the first run for the Nationals. Another triple in the sixth by CJ Abrams led to a second run against Wacha but he was otherwise able to hold Washington at bay. Wacha has now gone six straight starts allowing two earned runs or fewer and will aim to keep his strong stretch rolling next week at home against the Rangers.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Six strong frames in sixth win
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Wacha (6-9) recorded the win Wednesday against the Red Sox, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out three.
It was Wacha's fifth start in a row with at least five innings while conceding two runs or fewer. While the veteran right-hander has exceeded five strikeouts on just four occasions out of his 23 starts on the year, he's now up to 11 quality starts in 2025. Wacha has a steady 3.36 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 98:35 K:BB over 131.1 frames, and his next appearance projects for a soft matchup at home versus the Nationals.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Tosses eight strong innings
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Wacha (5-9) earned the win against the Blue Jays on Friday, allowing one run on three hits while striking out five across eight innings. He did not issue a walk.
It was another strong outing for Wacha, who has yielded one earned run in each of his last four starts. He was efficient with his pitches and finished his outing having tossed 100 pitches (71 strikes) while generating 10 whiffs and six groundouts. Wacha's recent string of performances now has him at a 3.38 ERA and 95:35 K:BB across 125.1 innings this season, with his 1.16 WHIP ranking 13th among qualified starters in the American League. He's lined up to make his next start against the Red Sox at Fenway Park next week.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Steady against Guardians
Rotowire
Wacha allowed a run on three hits and a walk while striking out five over 5.1 innings, taking a no-decision in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Guardians.
Wacha has come up winless in six straight outings, but he's held opponents to exactly one run in three straight no-decisions. The right-hander limited the damage to a sacrifice fly in this contest. He's now at a 3.53 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 90:35 K:BB through 117.1 innings over 21 starts this season. Wacha lines up for a tough matchup in Toronto next weekend.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Royals-Guardians postponed
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Wacha will not make his scheduled start against the Guardians on Friday after the game was postponed due to inclement weather.
Friday's game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Saturday, and Wacha will start in Game 1 at 2:40 p.m. ET, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. The veteran right-hander is coming off a quality start in his last outing against the Marlins this past Saturday, and he sports a 3.62 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 85:34 K:BB across 112 innings this season.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Delivers quality start Saturday
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Wacha came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Marlins, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out one.
The veteran righty was actually in line for a 1-0 loss until the Royals pushed across the tying run in the top of the eighth inning. Wacha produced his ninth quality start of the season on 78 pitches (51 strikes), but he's struggled to provide much consistency since the beginning of June, posting a 4.78 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 35:16 K:BB over his last 43.1 innings, which has resulted in a 1-5 record. He'll try to get back in the win column in his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Guardians.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Handed third straight loss
Rotowire
Wacha (4-9) was charged with the loss Saturday in Arizona after allowing four runs on four hits and four walks across four innings. He struck out four.
The veteran right-hander had a 2.88 ERA at the end of May, but after Saturday's showing he now has a 1-5 record with a 5.85 ERA in six starts since the beginning of June. That poor run of form has inflated his season-long numbers to a 3.83 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 79:30 K:BB across 101 innings, with those ERA and WHIP figures being his worst since 2021. He lines up to make one more start before the All-Star break next weekend versus the Mets.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Falters in loss to Mariners
Rotowire
Wacha (4-8) allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out one over five innings to take the loss on Monday versus the Mariners.
Wacha didn't get much support in the contest, which saw him take the loss for the fourth time in five starts in June. His last two outings had been quality starts, and he ended the month with 17 runs allowed over 28.1 innings. The veteran right-hander is now at a 3.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 75:26 K:BB through 97 innings over 17 starts this season. He's projected for a road start in Arizona his next time out.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Season-high nine Ks in seventh loss
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Wacha (4-7) was saddled with the loss Wednesday against the Rays, giving up three runs on nine hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out nine.
Wacha brought some of his best swing-and-miss stuff to the mound, registering 19 whiffs en route to fanning a season-high nine in his eighth quality start of the year. The veteran right-hander poured in 65 of his 93 pitches for strikes, but he also matched a season worst in hits allowed. Through 92 frames on the campaign, Wacha holds a 3.33 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 74:24 K:BB. His next appearance is slated for next week at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park against the Mariners, who have a poor .634 OPS at home since the start of May.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Limits Rangers to one run
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Wacha (4-6) came away with the win against Texas on Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out five across six innings.
Wacha faced the minimum number of batters in three of the six innings he pitched, and he kept the Rangers off the board until the sixth, when he yielded an RBI double to Marcus Semien. Thursday marked Wacha's seventh quality start of the season (three of which have come over his last four outings) and his 3.24 ERA (across 86 innings) is 16th best among qualified starters in the American League. He's lined up to face Tampa Bay at home next week.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Strafed by A's
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Wacha (3-6) took the loss Friday, giving up five runs on nine hits and two walks over 5.1 innings as the Royals fell 6-4 to the A's. He struck out five.
The right-hander kept things close through five innings despite serving up solo shots to Austin Wynns and Luis Urias amid a barrage of singles, but Wacha gave up two more knocks with one out in the sixth and watched both runners come around to score after he'd gotten the hook. Wacha has gone five straight starts without getting into the win column, but his 4.13 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 23:5 K:BB through 28.1 innings during that stretch suggest the issue has more to do with the Royals' offense than his own performance. He'll look to end that drought in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next week against the Rangers.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Takes loss despite quality start
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Wacha (3-5) took the loss against the White Sox on Saturday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five batters over six innings.
Wacha gave up a two-run homer in the second inning and a solo shot in the third, accounting for all of the runs against him. He was otherwise fine, racking up 12 whiffs and throwing 64 of 95 pitches for strikes, but the right-hander got only one run of support as he fell to 3-5. Wacha did manage to notch his second straight quality start and his sixth overall this season, and he's been a steady part of Kansas City's rotation with a 3.01 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 55:19 K:BB across 74.2 frames.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Stung by long ball
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Wacha came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Twins, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk over five-plus innings. He struck out one.
The veteran right-hander served up solo shots to Harrison Bader in the fifth inning and Kody Clemens to lead off the sixth, the first time this season that Wacha has been taken deep multiple times in the same game. The four earned runs also tied his season high, while the single K was a season low. Wacha will take a 3.21 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 44:17 K:BB through 61.2 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Tigers.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Stuck with no-decision
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Wacha did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 2-1 win against St. Louis, allowing one run on eight hits and no walks over five innings. He struck out six.
The 33-year-old looked sharp once again in this 83-pitch performance against one of his former clubs. Over his last eight outings, Wacha has conceded three or fewer runs in each while firing a 2.49 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 47 innings. The only damage on the veteran right-hander's day happened on a 430-foot solo shot by Alec Burleson in the fourth. Wacha currently lines up to make his next start at Minnesota next weekend.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Tallies third win
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Wacha (3-4) earned the win Monday at Houston, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks over 6.1 innings. He struck out three.
The veteran right-hander limited damage in this 88-pitch performance, scattering six singles and two doubles while generating only six whiffs. Wacha collected his fourth consecutive quality start, as he's pitched to a 1.75 ERA, 1.09 WHIP across 25.2 innings during that span. Through 51.2 total frames, the 33-year-old sports a 2.96 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 37:16 K:BB. He is currently slated to make his next start against one of his former teams, the Cardinals, at home this weekend.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Seven shutout innings in second win
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Wacha (2-4) grabbed the win Wednesday against the White Sox after allowing three hits and one walk in seven scoreless innings. He struck out five.
It was one of the finest efforts of the season for Wacha, who tossed a season-high seven innings. While the right-hander has fanned more than five just once among his eight starts, Wednesday marked his third straight quality start and second scoreless outing during this stretch. Despite his lack of overpowering stuff, Wacha has surrendered just two home runs this season. He boasts a 2.98 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 34:14 K:BB over 45.1 innings ahead of his next scheduled appearance, which tentatively lines up against the Astros next week.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Yields three runs in seventh inning
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Wacha (1-4) took the loss against the Orioles on Friday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three over 6.1 innings.
Wacha faced the minimum number of batters in four of his first six scoreless innings, but things unravelled in the seventh. After giving up a double, Wacha lost his shutout bid on a Ryan O'Hearn two-run home run, and the former was tagged for a third run later in the frame. It was a disappointing finish to what was otherwise a strong performance for Wacha, who has logged two quality starts in a row. He's in line to face the White Sox at home next week.
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Royals' Michael Wacha: Twirls six shutout innings
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Wacha (1-3) earned the win Saturday over the Astros, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out six over six shutout innings.
This was Wacha's best start of the campaign so far, with six innings and six strikeouts both being season highs. He walked multiple batters for the fourth time in six starts but didn't allow a runner to get past second base en route to his first win of the season. Wacha has pitched pretty well, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 26:12 K:BB across 32 over six starts. His 3.4 BB/9 is elevated compared to recent seasons -- he posted a 2.4 BB/9 last year and his highest in the last four years is the 2.9 mark he had in 2023 with the Padres. If he can get that area under control, Wacha should again be an even more reliable innings eater in the middle of the Royals' rotation. The right-hander's next start is projected to be at Baltimore.