Michael Wacha gave the Kansas City Royals everything they needed on Saturday night in Chicago, and they still could not get it done.
The 34-year-old right-hander threw 7⅔ innings of one-run ball against the White Sox, striking out seven while allowing just six hits and a walk, and he left with a no-decision in a 2-1 walk-off loss.
Advertisement
It was his third straight quality start, and all three have ended the same way, with Wacha pitching well enough to win and the offense not giving him enough to work with.
Bobby Witt Jr. did not dance around the problem after the game.
“These last starts from Wacha, he’s been throwing it well,” Witt said. “We just haven’t gotten him any run support. We’ve got to get there, because when we get runs on the board with him on the mound, I like our chances.”
The Numbers
Wacha has been the most reliable arm in the Royals’ rotation all season.
Across 17 starts, he carries a 3.31 ERA with 84 strikeouts and a 1.14 WHIP, numbers that would fit on any contending team’s staff.
Advertisement
His 119 ERA+ means he has been roughly 20 percent better than the league average pitcher, and he leads the team in innings by a wide margin.
None of it has shown up in the win column, though. Wacha sits at just 5-5 because the lineup has gone quiet behind him at the worst times.
Kansas City ranks near the bottom of the American League in runs scored, and that struggle has been most visible during Wacha’s outings.
The Royals have scored two runs or fewer in multiple recent starts of his, turning winnable games into losses.
Saturday fit the pattern perfectly, as the offense managed just one run on a night when Wacha held Chicago scoreless through six innings before finally allowing a run in the seventh.
Advertisement
A Frustrating Situation
Witt himself has continued to play at a high level despite how the season has gone for the team around him.
Through 78 games, the 26-year-old shortstop is hitting .288 with 10 home runs and 28 stolen bases, good for a team-leading 4.3 WAR.
He advanced to Phase 2 of All-Star voting this week, and there is no doubt he will represent Kansas City in July.
But individual numbers only go so far when the team continues to slide in the standings.
With the trade deadline getting closer and the Royals sitting at 35-50 in last place in the AL Central, the focus around Wacha has already shifted toward his trade value. Contending teams would love to add a veteran arm pitching this well on a reasonable deal.
Advertisement
For Kansas City, the tough part is that they have one of the better starters in the league right now and have simply not scored enough runs to show for it.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sports.yahoo.com ’
