On Monday, veteran right-hander Michael Wacha took the mound against the Kansas City Royals hoping to deliver a clutch performance for the San Diego Padres, who had just been swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The right-hander pitched seven innings against the Royals, walking just one batter, striking out 11, and not allowing a hit until the eighth inning, where he was ultimately removed from the game.
However, that didn’t tarnish the shine of his performance.
After the game, Wacha appeared on MLB Network and discussed his dominant start against the Royals, including what was working well for him in his seven-plus innings of work.
"I had the fastball command, change-up was dancing on 'em… defense was playing great and it ended up being a really fun night."
Michael Wacha joined #MLBTonight after taking a no-hitter into the 8th in the @Padres win!@Plesac19 | @JakePeavy_22 | #BringTheGold pic.twitter.com/JtVNDW9B58
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 16, 2023
Wacha first talked about a conversation he had with manager Bob Melvin, where he expressed his desire to keep pitching after seven innings.
The veteran righty said he wanted to make sure Melvin knew he felt confident to go out and continue pitching.
Wacha then discussed his pitch arsenal and how everything was working for him, revealing that his fastball command was on full display as he dominated the Royals.
The right-hander also discussed his changeup, which is his signature pitch, and how it kept the Royals off balance.
He then praised his teammates for playing excellent defense to back up his strong outing.
Wacha signed with the Padres after a solid season with the Boston Red Sox in 2022.
He earned NLCS MVP honors when he was a rookie in 2013 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 31-year-old is 4-1 with a 4.06 ERA in 44.1 innings of work this season.
NEXT: Fernando Tatis Jr. Started Thursday's Game With A Message