Last night, Sept. 24, Cardinal’s rookie pitcher, Michael Wacha, came within one out of pitching a no-hitter. At only 22-years-old, Wacha would have become the youngest pitcher to throw a no-hitter.
Wacha’s story began when he was the ace of staff at Texas A&M. At 6’6, 210 lbs., his dominant performance and size grabbed the attention of the Cardinal’s scouts. In 2012, Wacha was drafted in the first round (Number #19 overall).
Wacha quickly progressed through the Cardinal’s minor league system, and on Aug. 19 he made his major league debut against the Milwaukee Brewer’s. Since then, Wacha has posted a 2.78 Earned Run Average (ERA), and has a record of 4-1.
“I believe that Michael Wacha can fulfill his role on being the newest Cardinal’s ace. In the future as he matures, he will become the focal point of the staff,” freshman Matt Perego said.
On Wacha’s ninth major league start, he made a name for himself. Dominating the Washington Nationals through eight innings, Wacha needed only three more outs to seal the deal.
“I think other playoff teams should feel threatened by the Cardinal’s staff now that Wacha has emerged as another strong link on the team,” junior Anthony Ruffner said.
The ninth inning came around and he quickly recorded the first two outs of the inning. Washington National’s third baseman, Ryan Zimmerman, stepped up to the plate looking to break up the no-no. Zimmerman hit a soft two out chopper to Cardinal shortstop Pete Kozma. Kozma then barehanded the ball and threw it over to first baseman Matt Adams who was unable to make the tag.
This is the third time a no-hitter has been broken up in the final out of the game this season. The previous two players were Texas Ranger’s pitcher, Yu Darvish and Sanfransisco Giants’ pitcher, Yusmeiro Petit.
“His overall performance was very good, and the fact he is so young makes his performance even more unbelievable. Since he is pitching so well as a rookie, his possibilities are endless,” Ruffner said.
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