Royals Veteran Hurler Reaches Milestone, Keys Huge Sweep Of Twins
Oh, what a difference a series can make.
The Kansas City Royals were reeling earlier this week. They had a seven-game losing streak, injuries were plaguing the entire roster, and a playoff spot that should have been locked up was still just the slightest bit in question.
Flash forward to Sunday afternoon, and the Royals are feeling as good as they have all season. After blanking the rival Minnesota Twins 2-0 in the series finale, the Royals had a sweep, a 2 1/2 game lead over the Twins, and a 6 1/2 game cushion for a playoff spot, their largest margin of the year.
The win on Sunday wasn't only significant for the Royals in the standings. It was the 100th of Wacha's career. The 32-year-old righty is now 12-7 on the season, marking his third straight season with at least 11 wins.
With seven shutout innings, Wacha lowered his season ERA to 3.34, 23rd in the majors among qualified starters. He struck out seven, walked one, and allowed only four hits.
It was a nice bounce-back for Wacha, who took the loss in his previous two starts, thanks to poor run support. The Royals didn't exactly light up the scoreboard for their man on the mound Sunday, but Wacha had the Twins mystified, generating 12 whiffs on his filthy changeup.
Wacha has had an up-and-down career, weathering the storm of injuries and inconsistency to become a reliable rotation member in his early 30s. He went 11-2 with the Boston Red Sox in 2022 and 14-4 with the San Diego Padres before signing a two-year deal with Kansas City.
The Royals have built a remarkably consistent starting rotation, which has helped keep them afloat all season. With Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, and Brady Singer all in line to start postseason games, Wacha has been perhaps the best number-four starter in the league.
The Royals hope Wacha can pile up a few more victories down the stretch, in both the regular season and the playoffs. But Sunday is a time to look back and reflect on the win and the other 99 that came before it.
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JACKSON ROBERTS
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org