BALTIMORE -- Michael Wacha checked off another item on his proverbial to-do list for the year on Friday, pitching into the seventh inning for the first time this season.
While the result, a 3-0 Royals loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards, wasn't what he wanted coming off his first win of the year in his prior start -- in a 162-game regular season, silver linings are always a good thing.
“He was outstanding,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “His command was great. Stuff looked really good. Pitched in, pitched out, moved the ball around really well. Getting into the seventh inning without allowing a run against that lineup is pretty impressive.”
Wacha worked around baserunners expeditiously in the first, second and fifth innings, allowing just four hits through his first six innings -- with the help of two double plays. He didn’t walk a batter until he was already in a hole in the seventh, which was also the only frame in which he allowed any extra-base hits.
“They came out pretty aggressive and swinging early and often,” Wacha said. “And so [I] was executing early, getting those ground balls, getting some double plays there in the first couple innings. Get it, get back in the dugout as quickly as we could. And yeah, pitch count was down and we were attacking early. Just kind of unraveled in the seventh there.”
While Wacha was limiting damage from the mound, Dean Kremer was doing the same for the Orioles. The Royals managed just four hits on the night, two apiece from Michael Massey and Freddy Fermin. Bobby Witt Jr. finished the night 0-for-4, halting his hit streak at 22 games.
The lack of run (and hit) support didn’t necessarily hurt Wacha, who treats each of his starts as if it’s a 0-0 game all along. But it didn’t help when that seventh inning rolled around.
“Was cruising there up until the seventh,” Wacha said, “And then, yep, just put too many pitches over the middle and they didn’t miss them.”
The trouble began with a leadoff double from Adley Rutschman, which was followed by a two-run home run from Ryan O’Hearn -- just the second long ball Wacha has allowed this year.
After giving up a double to Ryan Mountcastle (who later came around to score) and that walk -- with a lineout sandwiched in between -- Wacha’s day was done at 83 pitches. He allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk with three strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings for his second quality start in a row.
“He’s a pro,” Quatraro said. “He’s a consummate pro, and he’s the guy that we know he’s going to game plan. We know he’s going to get stronger as the year goes on because of his work ethic. I mean, every time he takes the ball, we think we have a chance to win.”
Entering the opener in Baltimore, Wacha had completed six innings just once this season: in his previous start last Saturday vs. the Astros. That sixth inning had been a sticking point for the veteran righty, getting pulled in the middle of the frame in his prior four April starts entering that outing vs. Houston. Now, Wacha has twice proven that he can handle the sixth.
Next up: tackling -- and defeating -- that seventh inning his next time out, hopefully with some more backing from his offense in the process.